


Bits and Pieces

by bigstarkenergy



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 09:26:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 20,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17578250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigstarkenergy/pseuds/bigstarkenergy
Summary: the collection of my tumblr fics





	1. i love you

It took Tony a year to tell Steve he loved him. 

It wasn’t because Tony didn’t know how to say it. It wasn’t because he didn’t know. No, it was because of a stupid, dumb, endearing, perfect reason that made Steve love him even more.

Steve’d wrap his arm around Tony and pull him in close and whisper that he loved him in Tony’s ear, and just before he fell asleep, he could always feel Tony smiling softly.

He’d drop it in conversations. he’d leave for a mission and as always, kiss Tony goodbye, and whisper a quick, “love you”. and Tony would smile against his lips before pushing him away and calling out “just don’t come back in pieces, Capsicle” as he walked away.

It’d been a year, and Steve knew, but he didn’t know why Tony’d never said it. He knew, but he wanted to hear it, to see Tony say it. He knew in the way Tony’d collapse into his arms after a long day, he knew in the way Tony’d tug him into an empty room when they were both supposed to be in some important meeting. He knew. He knew in the way Tony’d look up at him and Steve always caught him smiling to himself, as if he’d just gotten away with some devious trick. He knew in the way that Tony’d absentmindedly trace hearts and shapes on his palms. He knew.

But he wanted to _ hear  _ it.  He wanted to  _ know. _

So one day, he pulled Tony aside and sat him down and held his smaller hand in his own, and asked. 

_ ”You’ve never told me you loved me, you know” _

And at first, Steve didn’t understand why Tony was laughing so hard. laughing almost to the point of crying. 

Eventually, he stood up and walked around to kitchen island, still laughing, and poured himself a glass of water. 

“God, i’ve fallen in love with an idiot. Steve, of course I love you. I’d be a mess without you.”

_ “Then why’d you never say it before?”  _ Steve asked, trying to ignore the warmth spreading across his chest. 

“Because I thought it was obvious. Steve, you’re literally everything I have. I love you. I’d stand up and say it in front of the whole damn world if i thought I needed to.”

_ “You would?”  _ Steve asked, walking over to Tony and looking down into his eyes. 

“Yes,” Tony said, wrapping his arm around Steve’s waist and tugging him closer. 

_ “Would you want to?”  _ Steve asked, against Tony’s lips. 

“Want to what?” Tony mumbled, opening his eyes reluctantly.

_ “Stand up and say it. not in front of the whole world, but maybe just our friends?”  _ Steve whispered, staring into Tony’s brown eyes. His heart beat faster, and not just because he could barely breathe around Tony anyway. 

“You mean like a wedding?” Tony asked, smirking up at Steve. “Is this a proposal, Rogers?”

_ “What if it was?” _ Steve asked, wrapping his arms around Tony’s waist so they were hip to hip.

“I’d say yes.” Tony said, looking into Steve’s eyes. Steve grinned before pulling Tony’s legs up around him.

_ “I love you,”  _ Steve said, looking down at his fiance. 

“I love you too, Rogers, but damn it, you’re killing me with all this talking. I can think of a thousand things I’d prefer your mouth to be doing than stating the obvious.” Steve laughed. 

It took Tony a year to tell Steve he loved him. Steve always likes to make fun of Tony for it, but Tony always argues that it really should’ve been obvious, since Tony’s always driven him to his group therapy meetings, and waits outside for as long as Steve needs, playing with small trinkets and building his suits. In the end, they each have a funny story to tell, and neither one can ever truly stop themselves from smiling when they read the inscriptions on their weddings bands.

_ “What if it was?” Tony’s says. _

_ “I’d say yes.” Steve’s reads. _


	2. the wedding

“At first, I was going to write a hilarious speech. Make you all laugh. Maybe throw in a few swear words to make Steve blush, because God knows I love that. But then I started writing. And I realized that I had this chance, this chance to tell you all insanely annoying it is to be in love with Steven Grant Rogers.”

“Firstly, he’s a massive pain in the ass. He hogs all the covers. All of them. and if that isn’t bad enough, he likes to drape his limbs all over me. As if I’m part of the fucking bed. I’ve thought about building a divider. You think I’m joking? I’m not. He looks all stoic, but don’t let that fool you. He fuckin’ loves cuddles. I could build the great wall of China, but I promise you, Steve would find some way, God knows how, to drape his heavy, long limbs across me. I don’t know how I even sleep in the same bed as him.”

“Secondly, and possibly the most importantly, he’s the most over the top, dramatic asshole I’ve ever met. You think I’m dramatic? You haven’t seen Steve when his favorite cereal runs out. I wake up, and he’s standing over me, arms crossed, eyes almost wet with tears, frowning disapprovingly. The first time it happened, it nearly gave me a heart-attack. I’d thought that someone had died. But no, no, instead, Steve just had to eat some waffles for breakfast. God. Insane.”

Tony stops, and shoves his small slips of paper in his suit pocket. The audience looks bemused and happy as they look on at the couple. Tony smirks as he kicks the floor with his heel. 

“And yet? After everything I’ve told you today, from the way he drinks coffee to the way I’ll never get a good night’s sleep again, or the way he loves to act as if the smallest problems deserve declarations of war, after all that, I still love him. I know, I know, but what can I say? I’ve always had a thing for lost causes,” Tony says, gently taking one of Steve’s hands and holding it in his own. He looks up at Steve, and smiles softly.

“But the truth is that I’d take your over the top, dramatic ass over anyone else’s any day. Because no one else really makes me laugh the way you do. And no one else out there really understood, actually understood what was going through my mind before you. You gave me a home. and so I’m standing up in front of all our friends, and I’m declaring to the whole world that I love you, Steve Rogers.”

“I love the way you smile at me from across the room. I love that you’d never leave someone behind. I love that I know that you’ll always have my back. I love that you always know what to say. I love that you always know when I need you. I could spend all day listing things I love about you, and still not be finished. So I’ll just say this. I love you. All of you. Every single part. Every single annoying, frustrating, stupid part of you. I love you.”

There wasn’t a single dry eye in the audience.

_ “You may kiss the groom”  _ was a little too late. Steve couldn’t wait. Tony likes to tease him about it. 

Steve always looks at the photos and smiles silently. Tony always pokes him and asks what he’s smirking at, but Steve only laughs and tugs him closer.

_ “I love you too,” he thinks. _


	3. they love each other

His eyes. Steve loves Tony’s eyes. especially when he’s thinking. They light up, and Steve’s always reminded of the way stars look in the sky. 

His hair. Tony loves to play with it, to curl strands of it around his fingers absentmindedly. it’s softer than it looks, and it reminds Tony of sunshine and warm summers.

His hands. Steve loves Tony’s hands. For unspoken reasons, obviously. but also because Tony’ll trace his fingers down Steve’s arms, or gently catch his hands in his own, just to remind Steve that he’s there, and Steve can never really hide his smile. 

His laugh. Tony loves Steve’s laugh. when he heard it the first time, it felt as if someone had cracked his heart open. He tries to make Steve laugh as often as he can, and each time, it feels like his heart gets a little bit bigger in the process.

His smile. Steve adores Tony’s smiles. all of them, from the smirk Tony gives him, to his genuine, full blown, all teeth and happiness smile. he loves the tiny tugs at the corners of Tony’s lips that he gets when he’s being a smartass. 

His arms. Tony loves Steve’s arms. For obvious reasons, but also because when Steve wraps his arms around Tony, Tony feels safe. He feels safe. All the weight in his shoulder falls off. All the tension in his neck disappears. but most of all, when Steve’s arms are around him, he sleeps. 

They love each other. 


	4. home

Steve smells like damp earth and morning dew. Like wind and ocean air. Tony always says he smells like home. 

Tony smells like campfires and warm blankets. Like sparks and pine trees. Steve always says he smells like home.

Steve wraps his arms around Tony, and he feels loved. Cared for. Tony rests his head on Steve’s chest and he feels comfort. Safety.

They give each other homes. 


	5. i missed you

“I missed you,” are the first words out of Tony’s mouth. At first, he’s not even sure if he’s the one who said them. But there they are, floating in front of everyone, in front of Rhodey and Pepper and Bruce and Natasha, in front of Steve.

They’re the first words out of his mouth, and they’re loud and they’re big and they’re demanding all the attention in the room. 

He didn’t mean to say it. Didn’t even think them. Well - no,  that’s not true. He’s been thinking them for two years. Every damn time he saw that flip phone, he thought them. Every time he drove past Brooklyn and every time it rained, he thought them. He’s thought those three words every single day for two years. They’ve been rattling inside his mind, inside his heart, killing all reason and all thought.

He doesn’t want to see Steve’s face. Doesn’t want to see the expression. He doesn’t even know what it’ll be anymore, that’s how long it’s been. Before, Tony could’ve predicted every word Steve would say. 

But Tony’s weak. He’s weak, and he missed him, he missed him, he missed him, and he’s weak. So he looks up. Looks up, and Steve’s standing less than two feet away from him, and he’s weak. Weak because Steve still somehow smells like rain and damp earth. Weak because he never really forgot how much he loved that, no matter how hard he tried. 

He forces himself to look up, to raise his head, and when he sees Steve’s face, his breath catches. He’s dirty and he looks tired, the kind you can’t shake off, but he’s here. he’s here, and Tony memorizes every inch of his face. The beard, that’s new, Tony notes in the part of his brain that isn’t overwhelmed by  _ Steve, Steve, Steve _ . 

And somewhere between them are the words “I missed you” and Tony wants to take them back and somehow embolden them in time all at once. 

They’re bouncing around in Tony’s mind and heart and he can hear the blood pounding in his ears, he can hear his heart beating faster than Tony thinks is probably possible, and he wants so badly to take two steps forward and fall into Steve, because he’s here, and he smells like home, and for the first time in two years, Tony feels  _ complete _ . 

And Steve’s standing in front of him, and for the first time, Tony notices the streaks down his face, where tears have pushed aside the dirt and grime. And somewhere underneath the chaos, somewhere underneath the pain and loss, Tony sees Steve.  _ His _ Steve.

And for the first time, Tony notices that Steve’s eyelashes are wet and clumped, and his blue eyes shine brighter than Tony’s ever seen them, and he’s here, and he’s back and Tony’s  _ missed _ him. 

But before Tony can say anything, before he can take them back or walk away or brush them off, Steve’s arms are around him, and Tony exhales. The weight falls off his shoulders, and just for a second, air rushes into his lungs. He buries his head into Steve’s shoulder, and takes a deep breath, the first in a long time, and his only thought is that Steve smells like  _ home _ .

And suddenly Steve’s pulling away and Tony wants to say “ _ no, stop, wait _ ” but before he can get a word in, Steve’s mouth is on his, and at first it’s soft and light, but within seconds it feels like when they first started dating, but instead of beginnings and unbridled hope it feels like more like “ _ I’m sorry” _ and “ _ I missed you, I missed you, I missed you.” _

And when they finally pull apart, Steve’s eyes are closed and his chest is heaving, and Tony can see the tears falling down his face. The guilt and desperation is written on his face, and Tony feels something, something big and small all at once fall into place as he pulls Steve into him. He’s still heaving, and his tears fall onto Tony’s neck, but Tony feels him exhale as he slumps against him. 

Steve pulls him tighter to him, as if it’s the last time and the first time, because in a way it is, and Tony breaths out. The world stands still, just for a moment.

_ “I missed you,” _ Tony whispers. there’s an eternity of silence before Steve responds.

_ “You don’t have to anymore.”  _


	6. beach day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> anon requested: Tony gets bit by a snake on his things and Steve has to suck the venom out and Steve is MORTIFIED that he had to suck in Tony's thigh before they've even kissed

“Fuck! Shit. Fuck!”

  
Steve sits up to see Tony, grimace on his face, slowly trying to walk towards the sand. Concerned, he squints and sees that Tony’s limping.

  
“Tony? What’s wrong?” he calls out, from his very comfortable blanket about twenty feet away from the waves.

  
“I think I got stung,” Tony yells back, still limping. At this point, Steve’s standing, and quickly jogging to where Tony is. He wraps one of Tony’s arms around his shoulders, even he could easily lift Tony up. Together, they limp back to their blanket, and Steve’s immediately asking questions.

  
“What was it?”

  
“Might’ve been a jellyfish, I’m not really sure,” Tony says. Steve can sense he’s trying to put on a brave face, but he’s in serious pain. His right thigh is rapidly swelling, and Steve tries not to show how terrified he is.

  
“’Let’s go to the beach,’ Nat said. ‘It’ll be fun,’ Bruce claimed,” Tony says, sarcastically.

  
At this point, the lifeguard is bending over them, his face filled with horror.   
“Hey man, you’re really not making me feel better,” Tony quips, his eyebrows raised. The lifeguard looks barely older than 18, and Steve wonders how he even got this job. He’s scrawny and gangly, and Steve doubts that this guy could save a 3 year old from a kiddie pool.

  
“Do you have anything for this?” Steve asks.

  
“Um…man, we get a few of these a year, but normally my supervisors here,” the kid stammers, and Steve can practically feel Tony rolling his eyes. “I mean, I can call her, get her on the phone?”

  
“Yeah, kid, do that,” Steve says, clapping the kid on the shoulder as the kid scampers off to grab his phone.

  
The sting is getting worse and Tony’s gritting his teeth. Bruce could probably fix this, Steve thinks, grabbing his phone.

  
It goes straight to voicemail on the first try, and Steve almost curses. Tony doesn’t look too good, he’s sweating and clenching his teeth.

  
On the second try, Bruce picks up. “Hey, Steve, sorry it took so long, we’ll be back soon, it’s just that Nat wanted ice cream so we took a detour-”

  
Steve interrupts him mid sentence. “Tony’s been stung by something, and it’s getting really red and swollen and painful.”

  
He hears muffled swearing on the other side and suddenly, Natasha’s voice comes through loud and clear.

“Steve? How bad is it?” she asks, her voice serious.

  
“I don’t really know, Nat. I’d really like it if you guys could get here.”

  
“On it.” The phone clicks, and Steve sets it down, turning his attention back to Tony.

  
He peers over at the sting, and is relieved when he notices it’s still about the same size.

  
“Rogers, at least take me out to dinner first,” he hears Tony weakly mumble, and Steve looks up, confused, before realizing that in order to see the sting, he’d put his hand on Tony’s stomach, alarmingly close to the waistband of his swimming shorts.

  
_Shit,_ Steve thinks, quickly snatching back his hand.

  
“Sorry, I just wanted to get a better look at the sting,” he stammers out, and he can feel himself blushing. God, now he sounds like that lifeguard.

  
Speaking of which, that same lifeguard is now back at their side, thrusting his phone into Steve’s hands.

  
“Hi, my name’s Karen,” he hears a kind voice say as he holds the phone up to his ear.

  
“Hi,” Steve says.

  
“So Mark told me that your friend got stung?”

  
“Yeah, but I don’t know what it is.”

“That’s fine. Is it red, swelling and painful?”

  
“Yes,” Steve responds.

  
“Okay, well, I have good news and bad news,” Karen says happily. “The good news is that it won’t kill him, but the bad news is that someone’s gonna have to suck the venom out.”

Steve nearly chokes on his own salvia. “I’m sorry, what?”

  
“Yeah, it’s fairly normal, and painless. Just make sure you spit the venom out, of course.”

  
“Shouldn’t I call an ambulance or something?” Steve asks.

  
“Nah, nah, no need to bother them. It’s really simple, I promise. Your friend’ll feel better in no time. Just hurry, because even though it won’t kill him, it does hurt quite a bit.”

  
“No shit,” Tony mumbles, barely propped up on his forearms. “So what’s it gonna be, Rogers? You or the kid?”

“What?” Steve chokes out.

  
“Who’s gonna be the one to save me, you know? In all honesty, Mark, or whatever your name is, I really don’t trust you. Although, in all fairness, Steve here did recently try to get into my pants-”

  
This time, Steve does choke. “I swear to God, Tony,” he says, rubbing at his temple. The kid behind them looks terrified, his eyes wide.

  
“You can go,” Steve tells him. At that moment, Bruce, and Natasha both show up, quickly climbing over the small sand hill to get to them.

  
“So? What’s happening?” Natasha asks, kneeling down next to Tony to get a better look.

  
“You don’t look so good, man,” Bruce says, putting the back of his hand to Tony’s forehead.

  
“I talked to the beach supervisor and she said that it’s mostly harmless,” Steve starts, and he can see the relief on both of their faces.

  
“But, she also said that someone needs to get the venom out,” Steve finishes, and he sees their faces slowly turn to confusion and disgust.

  
“What?” Nat asks.

  
“Get the venom out?” Bruce responds. “Like with a syringe?”

  
“Uh…no, not exactly. More like….with our mouths,” Steve says, slowly.   
“Oh, no.” Bruce says, pushing himself to his feet. “Tony, I love you buddy, but there is no way in hell I’m gonna suck on your thigh.”

  
“Yeah. Stark, I’ve been with you through the thick and thin, and I’d jump in front of a bullet for you, but god knows I am _not_ doing this,” Natasha says.

  
Tony limply turns towards Steve, and Steve can feel all the blood in his body rush to his face.

  
“Guess that leaves you, Rogers,” Tony says, and Steve wants to literally combust.

Bruce and Natasha both smugly raise their eyebrows at him as Steve turns to Tony’s side.

  
“If I hear a word about this ever again, I swear I’ll kill you both,” Steve threatens, before taking a deep breath and doing what Karen told him.

  
Within minutes, Tony was sitting up and cracking jokes. After he’d finished, Steve bolted. He’d made an excuse about trying to find a bathroom, and immediately got as far away from them as he could.

  
He’d just sucked venom out of _Tony Stark’s fucking thigh,_ and they hadn’t even been on a date. He shook his head, and texted Nat that he’d meet them at the car.

  
“I wasn’t joking you know,” Tony says, as he slides into the backseat of the car. Bruce and Natasha are busy putting the beach towels and sandals into the trunk.   
“About what?” Steve asks, trying to remain impassive.

  
“About taking me on a date,” Tony says casually. At first, Steve’s not sure he’s heard him correctly.

  
“What?” he asks, looking at Tony in the rear-view mirror.

  
“A date, Rogers. You’ve been on one, right?”

  
“Yeah,” Steve manages to reply.

  
“Cool. How about this friday? I figure I owe you one,” Tony jokes, locking eyes with Steve in the rear-view mirror.

  
“FRIDAY’s good,” Steve says, trying to keep his voice steady. Tony nods, satisfied, then pulls out his phone, trying to hide his smile.

  
On the ride home, Steve can’t stop grinning.


	7. the sun and the stars

Tony’s the sun. He shines. He’s radiant. Steve doesn’t know how anyone manages to ignore it. Every time Tony walks into the room, Steve’s breath catches. Tony’s the sun. The first time they kiss, Steve feels like he might genuinely combust. Tony’s brilliant. light emits from his soul, and Steve feels like he’s basking in the warmth. and his laugh, oh God, his laugh. it cracks Steve’s chest open and makes him grin involuntarily. Tony’s beautiful. He touches Steve, and it feels like he might burn and flicker away. His eyes, they shine. He’s the brightest, most brilliant thing Steve’s ever seen, and he can never tear his eyes away.

Steve’s the stars. He glows. He’s ephemeral. Tony doesn’t know how everyone ignores it. Every time Steve looks his direction, he feels like he’s in the presence of something heavenly. Steve’s the stars. The first time they kiss, Tony feels weightless, as if he could soar into the sky. Steve’s gorgeous. The blue in his eyes reminds Tony of endless skies and eternal hope. And God, Steve’s smile. The first time Steve smiled at him, Tony nearly forgot to breathe. It felt as if all the light of the universe hit Tony all at once. Steve touches him, and he feels as if he’s falling apart. His eyes. They shine, and Steve’s undoubtedly the most beautiful, mesmerizing thing Tony’s ever seen, and he can never tear his eyes away.

_ The sun and the stars.  _


	8. i haven't slept in 4 days

When Steve finds Tony, he’s slumped over, eyes closed, a large plastic cup of coffee in his hand. At first, he thinks Tony’s asleep, but on closer examination, his eyes seem half open, and Steve walks over and gently sets a hand on his shoulder.

“Tony” he says, gently shaking. 

Tony’s eyes flutter open, and he smiles drowsily up at Steve. He looks adorable, Steve thinks, in his MIT sweatshirt and grey sweatpants. 

“Steve,” Tony mumbles, his words muffled by his arm. Steve smiles down at him. 

“How long has it been since you’ve slept?” Steve asks, gently prying the coffee out of Tony’s hand. Tony makes a sound of dissatisfaction and tries to clutch it tighter.

“I don’t know, maybe four days?” Tony mumbles, his eyes nearly closed. Steve shakes his head. He takes Tony’s arm and drapes it around him, pulling Tony to his feet. He’s like a sack of potatoes, and he clings to Steve as Steve wraps his free arm around Tony’s waist to help hold him up. 

Tony doesn’t speak, only makes little noises and what Steve assumes are dissatisfied sounds. 

“Tony, you need to take care of yourself. I was barely gone for a few days,” Steve says, as they slowly climb up the stairs to their bedroom.

“What were you so busy making, anyway?” Steve asks, as he pushes open the door to the bedroom.

Tony practically drops onto the bed, pulling Steve along with him. He lands nearly on top of Tony, using his hands to break his fall. Tony doesn’t move as Steve pushes himself back up. He’s not even sure Tony’s conscious. 

He kicks off his shoes and slowly crawls into bed next to his husband.

Steve tugs Tony up against him, and presses small kisses to Tony’s neck. Tony suddenly turns, with great effort, to face Steve. He leans forwards, and they kiss, soft and gentle. Steve pulls away, and brings his hand up to push some of Tony’s hair out of his eyes. 

“You should sleep,” Steve whispers, smiling fondly. 

Tony nods, and half heartedly pulls Steve closer to him. His brown eyes flutter open and he stares up at Steve. 

“Couldn’t sleep without you,” Tony whispers, settling into Steve’s shoulder. Steve smiles gently, pressing a kiss to Tony’s forehead.

“I missed you too.”


	9. anniversary

For their anniversary, Steve gets Tony a ring. It’s simple, nothing fancy, just a plain metal band with some swirls and tiny etchings on it. Steve gives it to him in a box, Tony curled up in the crook of his arm, and just before Tony goes to put it on, Steve kisses behind his ear and whispers “Look closer.”

Tony shivers slightly and smiles, turning the ring to examine it better. That’s when he sees it, the designs painstakingly carved into the ring, in a way that they’re only visible in certain angles.

“What do they mean?” Tony asks, turning his head to look at his husband. The light from the city reflect in Steve’s eyes, and Tony still feels the same way he did when he met Steve for the first time.

Steve wraps his larger hand around Tony’s, tilting the ring. There’s three symbols in total. A twisted tree, an interlocking knot, and a triangular knot formed around a circle.

“They’re celtic symbols. My mom taught me them. This one,” Steve says, holding the tree symbol up to the light “Means balance, strength and harmony. And this one,” he continues, twisting the ring so that the interlocking knot becomes visible “means love,” Steve says, pausing to kiss Tony behind the ear again, feeling Tony melt against him. 

“And this one?” Tony asks, holding the triangular knot up. “What does this one mean?”

“Family,” Steve says softly, looking into Tony’s brown eyes. They’ve been married for five years now, but nothing’s ever really changed. Tony smiles gently before leaning in to kiss Steve. It’s soft and sweet, and warmth spreads through Steve’s chest as he leans into Tony. 

“I love it,” Tony whispers, lacing his hand through Steve’s, holding their hands up to kiss the inside of his wrist. Steve smiles and relaxes into his husband. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Happy anniversary,” Steve says, a smile on his face. They fall asleep like that, Steve’s arms wrapped around Tony, their hands loosely connected. 


	10. Stark

The day Tony comes out publicly as bisexual, he comes home and stumbles into Steve’s arms. His eyes are wet and he looks exhausted.

“What happened?” Steve asks, concerned, gently helping him to the couch. Tony sniffs, and attempts to swipe at his tears with his suit.

“No, no it went fine,” Tony says, shaking his head. “I just-” his voice cracks and Steve wraps his arms around him, gently soothing him. “It seems stupid, I know, but I couldn’t stop thinking about my dad?” Tony says, a few tears slipping down his face.

“What about him?” Steve asks softly. Tony sniffs again and pulls away slightly to look at Steve.

“He was never proud of me, but I just…I don’t know what he’d think of  _ this”  _ Tony says, gesturing to him and Steve. “I haven’t thought about what he’d like or dislike in so long, but I was sitting in the car, driving home, and suddenly, it was like I could hear him, going ‘This is unacceptable, Tony. You’re not a Stark.’”

Steve shakes his head and one of his hands curls into a fist.

“Tony, your father, he might’ve been a genius, but he’s half the man you are. Half the person you’ve become.” Steve says, turning his head and looking at Tony. He reaches up to gently take Tony’s face in his own, using his thumb to brush Tony’s tears away. “You’re Tony Stark. You’ve been through hell and back and you’ve never let it get to you. You’re a hero, Tony.”

Tony nods gently, swallowing the lump in his throat.

“I just…I don’t even know what my mom would think,” Tony says, in a soft whisper. He reminds Steve of a small child, and Steve reaches over and takes one of Tony’s hands in his own.

“She’d be proud of you, Tony. She’d be so proud. I know I am. Everyone is. Thor, Bruce, Nat, Clint. We’re all proud of you, Tony. There is no wrong or right way to be a Stark. You’re a part of a family, not a single person.” Tony looks up, and his eyes are dry. He laughs, a bit sadly, but he still laughs.

“He’d hate me, Steve,” Tony whispers, leaning into Steve. He sounds tired. Tired and sad. It reminds Steve of a heartbroken child. Steve hates seeing him like this.

Steve leans in and kisses him softly, then with a bit more urgency. Tony returns it, and Steve can taste the tears at the back of Tony’s throat. He pulls away, slightly breathless, then leans in again. Tony puts his hand on Steve’s jaw, turning to face him. When they pull apart, Tony’s smiling slightly.

Steve traces his fingers along Tony’s jaw. “If your dad” Steve starts, choosing his words carefully “would hate you, even after everything you’ve done, he’d be one of the stupidest men to have ever lived. And if he did hate you, it’d be out of jealousy. You’re a great man, Tony. The way you help people, he never did. Harley, Peter, total strangers, Tony. You’ve changed their lives,” Steve says, leaning his forehead against Tony’s.

Tony takes a deep breath in and drops his hand to hold Steve’s. “Thank you,” he whispers.

“I love you,” Steve responds, in way of an explanation. “I love you, Tony. And it doesn’t matter if your dad never did. I do.Ii love you.” he pulls away and looks into Tony’s eyes.

“I love you, too,” Tony whispers. He sighs and rests his head against Steve’s chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. Steve wraps his arms around him and presses a kiss to the top of his head.

It doesn’t matter, Tony decides, then and there, listening to Steve’s rhythmic breathing. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. He loves Steve. Nothing else matters.

He’s home.


	11. i love you

“I love you,” Steve whispers into Tony’s ear when they’re cuddling, watching an old movie Tony forced all the avengers to watch. Tony turns his head and kisses him gently. The rest of the avengers groan and roll their eyes. Natasha smiles from the bar behind the couch. She teases Steve and Tony about it more than anyone else, but she’s happy for them. She’s never seen them so happy.

“I love you,” Tony calls out, pointing to Steve in a public presentation, in front of an auditorium of hundreds of people. The press clamors, and suddenly, there’s a thousand cameras and microphones in front of Steve’s face. He smirks down at his husband. Tony’s gotten into the habit of calling out Steve’s name and following it up with an endearment in his public appearances. Steve loves it.

“I love you,” Steve says, slightly breathless after a long, sweet kiss. Tony’s leaving for a business meeting for two days, and Steve can’t come. Tony smiles down at him and smirks, rolling his eyes. “Such a drama queen,” he whispers before leaning back down.

“I love you,” Tony says, running his hands through Steve’s hair. Steve looks beautiful in the morning light. they kiss, soft and perfect. “I love you, too,” Steve replies, smiling up at Tony. They’ve never been so happy.


	12. welcome home

The avengers compound is busy with excitement. The smell of cranberries and mashed potatoes drifts around the large makeshift living room, and Tony looks around, smiling. Natasha and Clint are laughing and joking with each other, Thor and Banner are having some sort of semi-heated conversation, and even Fury’s cracking jokes. It’s thanksgiving, and everyone’s here. Everyone except for the one person Tony wants to see the most.

His smile shifts to the one that he uses for press conferences and photo reels. He makes his way across the room, patting backs and nodding absentmindedly at jokes. 

Eventually, he makes it to his bedroom, where he sinks down on his bed, his head in his hands. 

“FRIDAY, call Steve.” he says to the empty room. within seconds, Steve’s face is up on his wrist hologram, ringing.

“Pick up, pick up, pick up, Rogers,” Tony says, staring at the blue hologram.

His heart nearly leaps into his throat when he hears static, then Steve. Steve’s blue eyes and blonde hair appears into view and Tony smiles, his stress melting away and his heartbeat slowing.

“Tony? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine,” Tony says, quick to reassure him. “I just, I-I missed you.”

“I wish I was there with you,” Steve says, a melancholy smile on his face. He looks like he’s in some kind of board meeting, with long conference tables and professional photos hung behind him.

“How is everyone?” Steve asks.

“Everyone’s good, you know, Pepper’s trying to teach Peter how to cook but he’s helpless, and get this, even Fury’s cracking jokes. Nat and Clint look happy, but you never know with them, they could be planning my assassination as we speak,” Tony says. Steve smiles fondly at him and Tony feels his anxiety and worry lessen.

“I wish I could be there,” Steve repeats, his blue eyes shining at Tony.

“It’s lonely here without you, Cap,” Tony says.

“I’ll be there in a few hours, Tony, I promise,” Steve responds, smiling fondly at his husband.

Tony nods, reassured. They talk for a few more minutes before Steve has to go, and Tony has to rejoin the party.

Just before they’re all about to eat, the doorbell rings and Tony’s nearly bolting to the door.

The partygoers can’t see him come in, but they can hear the door open and Steve’s “hello everyon-” get cut off.

Tony kisses Steve as soon as he’s through the door, and Steve laughs before returning it.

After a few minutes, they emerge from the hallway, and Natasha notices that Steve’s hair is tousled and Tony’s tie isn’t as straight as it was before. She smirks as she hands Steve a beer.


	13. happy

Steve’s drunk. He’s drunk, and Tony’s smiling at him from his seat on the couch. He’s drunk and Tony’s laughing and he can see the stars from the windows in front of them. 

Steve’s drunk, and Tony smells so good. So good. Like campfires and pine. He’s drunk, and Tony’s smiling at him, his eyes shining, his posture relaxed. He looks happy, Steve thinks. He looks  _ happy _ . He likes this Tony better, Steve decides. This Tony. The Tony that wears sweatshirts and laughs and smiles like everything matters instead of nothing. This Tony, the one who makes jokes that don’t twist at Steve’s insides, the Tony that no one ever really gets to see. He likes this smile, the real one, the one where Tony’s eyes crinkle and he looks  _ happy.  _ He likes this Tony, Steve decides.  _ His _ Tony.

Steve’s drunk and Tony is so close, and he smells so good, and he looks so  _ happy _ and suddenly, Steve’s kissing him. 

And then Steve’s heart leaps to his throat, because Tony doesn’t move. And a thousand thoughts swim through his head in a split second. But then Tony’s hand is on his jaw and he’s kissing him back.

They kiss in front of the stars, hands running through hair and around necks. They kiss, slightly desperate. Tony leans forwards into Steve, pulling him closer. They kiss for what feels like an eternity and when Steve finally pulls away, his cheeks are flushed and his lips are slightly sore.

“I’ve been waiting for you to do that,” Tony whispers, his face a few inches away from Steve’s. His lips are slightly swollen and Steve’s chest still feels warm from Tony’s hands. Tony’s hair is tousled and his lips are red and all Steve wants to do is kiss him.

Steve’s drunk, and he’s falling in love. 


	14. power couple

“So, Mr. Stark, I have to ask, where’d you get the idea for this new invention?” the reporter asks, shoving her microphone in Tony’s face. She looks young, new and so eager.

Tony smirks, slowly taking off his signature sunglasses. 

“Well, actually, you’d have to thank my husband for that,” Tony responds, looking upwards to find Steve in the crowd. It doesn’t take long, and he sees Steve roll his eyes down at Tony. He likes to pretend he hates it when Tony mentions him in public, but in reality he loves it. “I love you, Steve” Tony calls out casually, a grin on his face, and the room explodes with noise. 

“Mr. Stark is expected to arrive any minute now. This will be his third meeting with the president. His husband, Captain America, otherwise known as Steve Rogers is standing next to the president. And here he is, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Tony Stark himself.”

Tony casually saunters off the plane, smiling around at the people waiting. He walks towards the president as the camera pans around to show the waiting line of security behind them.

Tony quickly shakes the president’s hand, posing for a few photos with her before turning to his husband and grabbing him by the back of his neck. The press at the sidelines of the plane all whip their cameras out. The kiss lasts for what seems like minutes before Tony pulls away, casually fixing his tie as nothing happened. Steve rolls his eyes and says something the camera can’t pick up before he turns back around, re-tying Tony’s tie for him.

“Hot kiss in front of the president!” the headlines read the next day.

They go to public showings together, looking better than any couple has any right to. They’re always late, and Natasha teases them about it, noting the bruises along Steve’s neck and the suspicious marks behind Tony’s ear. 

they pose for photos and “power couple” trends on twitter for hours during the events. It’s America’s golden boy and Iron Man, the world eats it up.

Steve loves to occasionally pull Tony close, whispering in his ear, and the press is right there to capture the way Tony’s face goes red before he turns to kiss his husband.

“So, Mr. Stark, would you care to give any comment on Senator’s Smith comment towards you and your husband this morning? a reporter asks. It’s been two years. She’s still young and still eager, but she’s in charge of a small group at her company now.

“I don’t know what there is to say, really. He thinks we’re ‘disgusting’” Tony says, rolling his eyes, a smirk on his face. “Ignorance isn’t all bliss, I guess, but Denise, can you swing by sometime later? My husband just got off his flight and I’d really like to make the front page of the  _ Entertainment Weekly _ with our welcome home kiss,” Tony says, before flipping his sunglasses back on and walking towards the incoming plane.

They make the cover. “The World’s Favorite Power Couple!” is one of the best selling issues the magazine’s ever published. 

Tony Stark and Steve Rogers are in love and they’ve got no problem with the whole world knowing it. 


	15. make me

“Look, I get it, I’m not your type, and it was just a stupid idea, forget it ever happened, forget I ever asked, it was dumb, it doesn’t matter-” Tony rambles, and Steve can see the way he’s back away from him, his head looking down, his hands shaking just the slightest bit.

“No, Tony, it’s not that, it’s just that-” Steve tries to interject, but Tony steamrolls right over him.

“No, it’s fine, Steve, I get it, I’m sorry, this is on me,” Tony continues, and Steve just wants him to shut up, to stop talking, just for one damn second so that Steve can get a word in, and before he really thinks it through, Steve’s standing in front of Tony, kissing him.

Tony shuts up and kisses him back, his mouth opening and his tongue running across Steve’s bottom lip and for a second, Steve forgets how to breathe. He pushes back until Tony’s back is against the wall and when they finally break apart, they’re both embarrassingly out of breath.

“Fuck, Rogers, I’ve seen you less winded after you’ve ran a couple miles,” Tony says after a moment, taking deep breaths. “I mean, I’ve always known I was good, but I guess this really proves it-”

“Do you ever, ever shut up?” Steve asks, stepping closer to Tony again. His hand is around Tony’s wrist and he can feel his heartbeat race against Steve’s fingers. 

“Make me,” Tony challenges, a smirk on his smug face. 

“If you insist,” Steve responds, closing the gap between them.


	16. Tony Stark hates Steve Rogers

Tony fucking hates Steve Rogers.

He knew it from the moment he met him. Hell - no, he knew it from before then, since he was just a kid. Fucking hates him.

Hates his walk and his voice and hair and outfit, god that stupid  _ fucking _ outfit. 

He’s insufferable.

Waltzes  in, and goes “I’ve seen the footage,” and Tony tries his best to not let the pain seep into his features, and then he does what he knows how to do, and turns that pain on its heels and forces it into anger.

Tony’s used to disappointment, hell, it’s the only emotion people ever really show him, but when Steve fucking Rogers expresses it, in the way his lips turn down and his shoulders carry just the slightest bit more tension, Tony wants to plant his fist in his face. 

He wants to spit in his face and say “get in line,” and tries to convince himself that the aching, burning pain in his chest is anger, not sadness.

Tony Stark fucking  _ hates _ Steve Rogers. Hates him more than Captain America. Captain America, sure, lots of people hate Captain America. but no one really ever gets to know Steve Rogers, and once they do, they sure as hell don’t hate him. But Tony does. He does, because he’s learned the hard way, over and over again, that promises aren’t kept, that good men become bad men, that virtue and hope is only as good as the speed of a bomb and the destruction of a single bullet.

So, Tony Stark hates Steve Rogers. Hates the way he walks, hates the way he helps others, hates the way he is everything, everything Howard ever loved, and  _ everything _ Tony ever wanted to be. He hates that more than anything.

Steve doesn’t hate him, though. Sometimes Tony thinks he does, but then he’ll pop his head into Tony’s workshop just to “see if he needs anything” and Tony thinks “i wish you’d just  _ leave _ ” before gritting out a “yeah, fine, thanks.”

Steve doesn’t hate him, and Tony wishes he did, so desperately, because it’d make it so much easier. Tony knows what to do when people hate him, it’s expected, it’s normal, it’s literally like breathing for Tony Stark.

But Steve doesn’t, and Tony hates him even more for that. Hate me, he thinks, hate me. Everyone else does. so he does his best to make Steve hate him, he quips and jokes and makes all the wrong moves and says all the wrong things, and yet, even though Steve sometimes storms out, he’s always back, leaving pancakes or coffee outside of Tony’s door. 

Tony Stark fucking hates Steve Rogers. Hates him so much that one day they get into a fight, in front of everyone, and Tony storms out, trying to ignore the anger and happiness tugging at his heart, and he feels sick of himself, sick of this stupid twisted game.

And later, Steve finds him, and Tony’s ready, he’s been waiting for this, for Steve to spit out some cutting insult so that Tony can fight back, so that he can do something, anything. 

And Steve’s pissed, he’s livid, Tony can see it in his shoulders and his jaw, clenched tight and barely speaking. He wants an answer, he wants a reason, but Tony doesn’t have one other than  _ I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.  _

“You want an answer? I don’t have one, Rogers,” Tony says, shooting up from his chair, only a few inches away from Steve’s face. He’s never been this close to Steve before, and he can see his eyes, and they’re blue and so so pretty and Tony hates that too.

And Steve opens his mouth and Tony steadies himself, for anything, for a punch, for a scathing insult, but instead, Steve leans forwards and kisses him. It’s almost angry, demanding, and at first Tony is so shocked he doesn’t move, and he’s shoving Steve off, except he isn’t, he’s grabbing him and pulling him closer and Steve makes a sound at the back of his throat that Tony tries so hard to hate but finds he can’t.

Steve pushes him backwards, his mouth hungry, and Tony nips at his bottom lip, running his hands up into Steve’s hair and clenching his fist in it. Steve growls but his lips part and Tony’s lungs burn because he can’t breathe, but he doesn’t want to stop because somehow, even though he fucking hates Steve Rogers, this is the best first kiss he’s ever had.

Steve finally pulls away, and they’re both heaving, and when Tony looks up, Steve’s lips are wet and swollen and Tony feels a surge of emotion that he can’t quite place, something a little south of anger and a little west of happiness. 

“I’ve wanted to do that for months,” Steve says, between deep breaths. His face is flushed and his hair is a mess and Tony fucking  _ loves _ it. He looks like a wreck, and Tony loves it.

“Me too,” he says, surprising himself, before grabbing the front of Steve’s shirt and pulling him in again.

Tony Stark  _ never _ hated Steve Rogers.


	17. 5 thing Steve Rogers learns about Tony Stark

  1. He’s a cuddler.  
  
The first night Steve stays over, he almost leaves, until Tony wraps his arms around him and practically falls asleep on Steve’s shoulder. He mumbles and groans every time Steve moves, as if he’s objecting to the thought of Steve leaving in his subconscious. It’s not unwelcome, just strange, but Steve realizes that he likes it, Tony’s, soft breathing and his warm body lying next to him  
  

  2. Tony Stark is a damn tease.  
  
He should’ve expected it from the way Tony kisses, but he’d just assumed, from Tony’s reputation, that’d be more of a “get it done” type of guy, but no, instead, Tony Stark likes to take half the goddamn century just on Steve’s collarbones alone. Tony kisses like a drowning man, his mouth hungry, his tongue swiping across Steve’s mouth, his teeth tugging at Steve’s bottom lip, drawing soft moans from him that embarrass Steve, but Tony adores.  
  

  3. He’s surprisingly reverent.  
  
Once again, because of his reputation, Steve just assumes that Tony’s more of the “let’s get this over with, only cares about himself” type of lover, but he quickly finds out that Tony’s fascinated by practically every part of his body. Sometimes he feels a little more like a specimen in a lab than someone Tony wants to have sex with, but then Tony’ll run his tongue across Steve’s neck and he wipes all thought of butterflies and science from his mind. Tony loves running kisses across Steve’s arms, his shoulders, practically anything he can reach.  
  

  4. He likes Steve’s drawings.  
  
At first, Steve refuses to show him, and Tony just shrugs, brushing it off. But later, Steve leaves his sketchbook open on Tony’s worktop and Tony finds him, pressing soft kisses into Steve’s neck and lips, and when Steve asks him what it’s for, Tony wordlessly lifts up Steve’s sketchbook with one hand, his other wrapped around Steve’s neck. he likes Steve’s drawings so much that he genuinely rips one out and gets it framed, hanging right by the door to their house. Steve doesn’t mention it, but Steve knows that Tony can see how much that means to him.  
  

  5. He’s possessive.  
  
Not that Steve can really blame Tony, because women and men at the galas Fury insists they attend are quite forward in their intentions and Steve’s always too polite to say anything, forcing Tony to step in and play the role of the possessive boyfriend. He places his hand on Steve’s arm and goes “can I help you?” sounding like the bored billionaire he is, but Steve can hear the hint of irritation and the possessiveness of Tony’s grip on his arm. He actually really quite likes it, especially the times when Tony skips the formalities and simply pulls Steve’s head down into a deep, truly not appropriate kiss as the interested parties gape and shake their heads.  
Those are some of the first five things Steve ever notices when dating Tony, and he has a feeling he’s gonna have a long, long list of things in the future.




	18. paint

Watercolor, Steve decides. Natasha is a watercolor type of person. It’s something he does, almost as a force of habit. He assigns people art material types. 

Natasha is watercolor because it shifts and changes, and once it dries, it always appears different than when it was wet, and because watercolor depends on layers and technique to build up, but in the end, it creates something truly beautiful, something that requires time and patience. So, Natasha is a watercolor person. 

Some people are easier than others. Like, Fury for instance. From almost the moment he met him, he knew. Markers. Bold, strong, and assertive. There’s no erasing, no blobbing out, no hesitance with markers. Markers are commanding and final, yet they can be varied and adjustable. So, Fury is a marker person.

Thor is crayons, Bruce is color pencils, and Clint is pens. It’s instinctual now, and Steve prides himself whenever his predictions prove correct. Like Hill. He had a bit of a harder time figuring her out, but he was pleasantly surprised when the answer came to him one day when she was speaking. Charcoal. Commanding yet soft, but with harsh lines and strict ideals. 

Some people are harder than others. Bucky’s a oil paint type of person, and Sam’s a acrylic paint type person. Wanda’s a color pencil type person. The only person Steve never really manages to figure out is Tony.

That is, until one day, when it hits him. Tony is a gouche type of person. Steve had never really used gouche before, but once he did, he thought instantly of Tony. It was a type of watercolor, but almost as opaque as oil paints when applied thickly, but thinner than watercolor if you wanted. The only thing that never changed, despite consistency or appearance was the color. Gouache, no matter what you did, stayed vibrant. 

People remind Steve of paint supplies. He’s not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. He just knows that Tony is red and Natasha is red in a burgundy sort of way and Thor is yellow and Clint is a strange sort of grey. Bucky and Peggy were both purple. 

And in a world where Steve isn’t really sure if he likes black or white or grey anymore, paint supplies remind him that things change, times change, but there’ll always be marker people and color pencil people and watercolor people and acrylic people and anything else.

It’s comforting, somehow. 


	19. fire and ice

Steve Rogers is cold. He always was, and that never really stopped. Tony burns. Like a flash fire or a shooting star.

Steve wraps his arms around him and breathes into his neck, trying so desperately to forget the feeling of ice, ice in his veins, ice in his heart, ice in his mouth and ice in his nose and ice in his soul. He wraps his arms around Tony and lets the heat flood into his body, and he sleeps.

Tony feels his cold arms around him and he is reminded of anything but the heat of afghanistan, he is reminded of ice cream and snow, of happier times and happier memories. He falls asleep with the feeling of ice, of rain and cold water on his neck.

They hold each other as the world melts from the fire. 


	20. we never know

“I like you, Cap. Shit, I think I could even love you. God, what would my dad think of that, huh? Probably wouldn’t like it. Or maybe he would, I don’t know, he always had some weird thing for you. Liked you better than he liked me, after all,” Tony says, his eyes red and his legs restless. “I’m a fucking mess, Rogers. And I like you, and it makes no fucking sense and I really shouldn’t, it makes absolutely no sense, but then again, I got kidnapped and became a superhero and you jumped on a grenade and someone chose you to become a superhero, so I guess we never really know, do we?” 

Steve doesn’t say a word. He’s not sure what he can say. He hasn’t seen Tony out of his workshop in nearly a week, and he doesn’t look like he’s been sleeping.

Tony looks up at him, a sad smile on his face, a screwdriver absentmindedly in his left hand. 

“Yeah, Pep always says I’m a mess, I guess she’s right. Anyway, moral of the story, summary, conclusion, whatever you want to call it, I like you, Steve Rogers. Kinda hate myself for it. I could go out and have practically any person I want and I had to choose the one guy who is straighter than a board and also, the paragon of every virtue I’ve never had.”

“I’m not,” Steve says, before he can really stop himself. Tony looks back up at him inquisitively. “Straighter than a board. I’m not.”

Tony tilts his head in an almost dismissive way. “Oh. Interesting development then, Rogers.” he seems to have a thought then, and a small smile graces his face. “Dad would’ve hated that,” he says, almost to himself.

Steve’s clears his throat and shuffles against the side of the door. “Are you okay, Tony?” 

“Huh? Yeah, sure, Cap, just dandy. except for the fact that you don’t like me, which, yeah, makes sense, I don’t really know what I expected-”

“I do,” Steve interrupts.

“I’m sorry, what?” 

“Like you. I do,” Steve says, trying to remain as confident as he can. Tony looks up at him and seems almost unsure, as if this is all some elaborate prank.

“Oh. That’s…oh.” 

“yeah,” Steve mumbles, looking down at the floor. He’s not really sure what to do.

“Oh,” Tony repeats, standing up. The screwdriver’s still in his hands as he approaches and Steve doesn’t move. Tony reaches up and gently brushes his hand through Steve’s hair, slipping the screwdriver into his pocket. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” Tony admits.

Tony’s practically leaning against Steve and for the first time in this entire conversation, Steve knows what to do. He reaches down and presses his lips against Tony’s, soft and hesitant, until Tony’s hand is around his neck, pulling him down with more urgency. Steve swipes his tongue across Tony’s top lip and Tony makes a sound that Steve wants to grin at, something in between a sigh and a moan. He kisses Tony like he’s wanted to for the past several months, nipping at Tony’s bottom lip and smiling to himself when Tony lets out a sharp breath.

Eventually, they break apart, Steve’s hair thoroughly destroyed, Tony’s lips fairly swollen. 

“See, now I feel bad for not confessing months ago,” Tony says, his breath slightly labored.

Steve shakes his head and smiles slightly before grabbing Tony’s arm and dragging him up to his room. 

“I like where your mind’s at, Rogers,” Tony says, a grin on his face as Steve pushes open his door.

Steve snorts and rolls his eyes, albeit fondly. “Sure, Tony. But before we find out how much we might’ve missed out on the last few months, you’re going to sleep. For at least 8 hours,” Steve says, pushing Tony gently onto the bed.

“You seriously cannot say something like  _ that _ and then just expect me to sleep,” Tony responds, but he can feel himself sinking into the mattress, his eyes slowly closing. 

“Mhm” Steve mumbles, pulling the covers up around him. 

They might just work after all.


	21. power couple: a year of headlines

**“Steve Rogers and Tony Stark hit it off at the Met Gala”**

They meet at the bar, where Tony notices Steve’s shaking. He makes him laugh and they spend the rest of the night, leaning against the counter, trading jokes. They both make it onto the best dressed list. Steve gets Tony’s number, and has to lie to Natasha that he’s not really  _ that _ excited. 

**“Steve Rogers and Tony Stark spotted on lunch date!”**

Tony’s wearing a suit, and Steve feels underdressed, but Tony waves his hand and dismisses it. It’s surprisingly easy to talk to each other, and Tony notices the way Steve blushes across his face and down his neck. He thinks it’s adorable. Rhodey hasn’t seen Tony this happy in months. 

**“Captain America shares ice cream with Tony Stark!”**

The picture is a laughing Steve Rogers offering his ice cream cone to Tony, who’s smiling up at him. They’d gone to one of Tony’s favorite places, a small corner shop on 31st street. Tony had wanted to try so many flavors, and eventually Steve had just let him have some of his, smiling at Tony in a way that made him nervous. Sam fist-bumps Steve and nods proudly the next time he sees him.

**“Tony Stark confirms relationship with Captain America!”**

It’d been a press conference, and Tony hadn’t really talked to Steve about it, but it wasn’t like the press didn’t already know. So, when a reporter had asked, he shrugged and then answered with a small smile, “yes.” Steve teases him about it later, claiming he’s “sentimental.” Thor smiles at them, looking proud.

**“Tony Stark shares a kiss with Captain America!”**

They’d been on a nice dinner date, and Tony’d gotten called into an emergency. Steve said he didn’t mind, and walked Tony out, pulling him in for a kiss before he left. Steve was holding Tony’s suit lapels and even in the picture, Natasha could tell Steve was smiling. “Could you look any happier, Steve?” she teases later.

**“Tony Stark and Captain America attend New York Fashion Week together!”**

They’re spotted as soon as they land, and they appear on various Snapchats and Instagrams throughout the week. Power couple trends on Twitter for a couple of hours when they host a Q&A at Stark Tower. 

**“Superhero Wedding in sight?”**

Someone spots a ring on Tony’s hand that wasn’t there before, and the internet goes crazy. There’s a lot of sad men and women lamenting that they’ll never get a date with either of them now. There’s a pride parade in front of Stark Tower just to celebrate. Steve asked on a beach. Tony said yes, then immediately said “Really, Rogers? On a beach? Isn’t that bit, you know, cliché?” Steve had rolled his eyes and grabbed his face, kissing him.


	22. count on me

_ “If you need something to believe in” _

It’s been a long day, and Steve finds Tony in his workshop, blasting Queen and hammering way too hard on a sheet of metal. He tentatively approaches. when Tony realizes he’s there and turns around, Steve can see that his eyelashes are wet and his eyes are slightly red.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, grabbing Tony’s shoulders. Tony practically falls into him. The tension seeps out of his shoulders and his voice catches.

“Nothing is simple anymore. Nothing is good, or bad, and everyone always has to want something. I used to believe in things, Cap.” Tony sounds strangled, and it pulls at Steve’s heart.

“Believe in me, Tony. You can always believe in me. I’m here,” Steve says, wrapping his arms around him. Tony collapses into him, and Steve whispers soothing noises as he lets him cry.

_ “I’m always gonna have your back, and if nothing else, you can always count on that” _

“Cap, on your left,” Tony says, and Steve turns to throw a few punches and the goon goes down. 

“Thanks, Tony,” Steve says, smiling. He probably looks like a dope, but Tony can’t see him, so he grins anyway.

“What can I say, Cap? I’ve got your back,” Tony jokes back, but there’s a seriousness to his tone that makes Steve want to haul him out of the sky and kiss him senseless.

“And I’ve got yours,” Steve replies, taking down a straggling bot that’s been chasing Tony for a few minutes. The rest of the team groans over the comms.

Later, when they’re falling asleep, Steve kisses Tony, softly, gently, and goes “I’ve got your back.” Tony smiles up at him, running his thumb over the gold band on Steve’s hand. “And I’ve got yours.”

_ “Don’t be afraid, I’ll always guide you home” _

“Do you miss it, Cap?” Tony asks, one day, absentmindedly tracing equations and shapes on Steve’s arm. It’s a lazy morning, some of Steve’s favorite days.

“What?” he mumbles sleepily.

“Home. You know, the past?” 

Steve opens his eyes at that and leans up for a soft kiss, feeling Tony immediately melt into him. “How could I? I’m happy. I  _ am _ home.” 

Tony smiles down at him before tugging Steve closer, holding him tight.

“You’re my home too,” he whispers.


	23. wanting/having

Steve Rogers was used to pining. Hell, he might even be an expert in it. No one had ever wanted him before the serum, so he was used to pining. Wanting and dreaming and thinking but never quite capable of  _ having _ . 

Steve Rogers was used to saving small bits of people, little things, like the way they raked their hands through their hair or the way they bit their lips or the way they drummed their fingers against the closest available objects. 

He was used to saving those small memories, those thoughts, for himself. Little things, just enough to keep him wanting more but never enough to fulfill what he actually wanted. He was used to staring and hurting and wanting without any chance of having.

He always seemed to choose people he couldn’t have, which really didn’t help his situation. Natasha had a long list of people she’d assured him would love a date with Captain America, but he didn’t really want any of them. He wasn’t really ready to admit that what-or who he wanted wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met.

First off, he was a he. And Steve had never wanted a he like that before, but he figured, it was okay now, it was fine now, no one would think less of him, so he pushed that part away. But secondly, he was attractive, the type that would never like someone like Steve, even  _ with _ the super soldier serum. And thirdly, he was everything Steve had ever wanted to be. Charming, smart, so easily capable and so effortlessly powerful. He walked into a room and people turned. Steve had always marveled at people like that.

So, Steve Rogers sentenced himself to pining. To jokes and quips and small details. But even he couldn’t pretend that having little parts of Tony Stark would never be enough. That knowing what his smile looked like before coffee would never be enough. That slight brushes and high fives and hands on shoulders would never be enough. 

Steve had been pining his whole life, so he resolved himself to furtive glances and small comments and irrelevant details. The last thing he expected was for his pining to be mutual.

The last thing he expected was for Tony freaking Stark, in a suit and tie, to confess that he’d wanted him for months now, that he was sure Steve didn’t feel the same way but that he had to tell him anyway. The last thing he was expecting was for Tony to shrug and act as if it was no big deal when in reality Steve could see Tony’s eyes and they were filled with disappointment and a little bit of anger and a flash of sadness.

And the last thing that Steve ever expected himself to do was grab Tony by the shoulders, run his hands up into his hair and kiss him. _ (Steve had wanted, dreamed, thought about it for months)  _ Thought about the way Tony might wrap his arms around his waist and pull him closer, thought about the fact that Tony was probably better at this than he was  _ (he was),  _ thought about the way Tony might run his tongue across Steve’s bottom lip, thought about the way Tony might gasp  _ (he loved that.)  _ he’d dreamed, thought, pined for months, stealing the smallest glances and everything, anything he could, but never, ever did he imagine Tony Stark pulling away from a kiss with _ him, _ and going “Oh. Wow. Okay. You have to warn me next time you plan on doing that, because as you know, I’ve got this small, itsy bitsy heart problem, you know, nothing major-” 

“i’m going to do it again,” Steve whispered, before pulling Tony back in and silencing him with another kiss.

Steve Rogers was used to pining. He was an expert. He was used to wanting and never having. He’d resigned himself to a lifetime of it. What he wasn’t used to were good morning kisses and more than slight brushes and sleepy smiles. He was used to wanting, but nothing, nothing could have ever prepared him for having.

Steve Rogers was an expert in pining. But not even his wildest dreams compared to the joy of becoming an expert in having.


	24. "hey asshole!"

Steve banged at the door beside his, his leg tapping impatiently, his other hand shoved into his pocket. It was 2 am and it was cold and his fucking neighbor had decided to blast Metallica at 2 in the morning. Normally, Steve would have just put a pillow over his head and called it a night, but he’d had a shitty day and this was decidedly not helping.

“Hey, asshole!” he shouted, still banging on the door. Finally, the music got quieter and the door creaked open.

“What the fuck do you-” the man who’d opened the door started to say before he seemed to stop, his mouth still open. his eyes raked over Steve in a way that made Steve wish he’d worn something other than an old ratty army sweatshirt and sweatpants. 

“What I want,” Steve said, his breath hitching due to the cold, “asshole, is for you to turn your fucking music down.”

The man smirked, before opening his door. “Do you maybe want to come inside to finish this conversation?”

“I called you an asshole and you want me to come inside your home?” Steve asked, incredulous.

“Yeah, sure, whatever. You don’t exactly seem like the type to beat me up or mug me or anything like that. Also, you’re ridiculously hot, it’s kinda messing with my brain if I’m telling the truth,” the man said, his eyes sparkling. He looked way too awake and way too happy at this turn of events for Steve’s liking.

Steve sized him up. He was a few inches shorter than Steve, with dark brown hair and a goatee that should have been stupid but he managed to pull off. His eyes were still shining at him, dark brown and mischievous. He wasn’t a bodybuilder or anything, but even under the MIT hoodie and sweatpants Steve could tell he was somewhat fit. All in all, he was, admittedly, quite attractive.

Steve shook his head and stepped into the man’s apartment. “Letting strangers into your apartment doesn’t seem like a smart life decision.”

The man shrugged. “it’s probably not, but I don’t make a lot of those anyway. Tony, by the way. Unless you’d prefer to keep calling me asshole, which, I mean, you wouldn’t be the first.”

“Not surprising,” Steve mumbled. It was too fucking early for this shit.

The man, Tony, laughed at that, a warm full-bodied laugh that made Steve feel as if he’d accomplished something, a sense of pride in his fingertips.

“Do you want coffee?” Tony called out. He was moving through his apartment as Steve shivered, his hands shoved as far into his sweater as possible. 

“Sure,” Steve called back, scanning the room. It was a mess, which didn’t exactly shock him. The room was filled with blueprints and designs, most of which he couldn’t make out. Airplanes and rockets, and there were robots, or what Steve assumed were robots everywhere, mechanical parts that seemed to move of their own volition.

“I assumed you like it black,” Tony said, handing him a mug which Steve gratefully accepted, wrapping his hands around the warm drink. “You know, because of the whole army thing.”

“Yeah,” Steve said, mostly into the coffee. Then he remembered why he was even there in the first place, hearing the faint beats of Metallica in the background. “So, as nice as this has been, can you please, just not play music at an ear splitting volume at 2 in the fucking morning,” Steve mumbled, not meeting Tony’s eyes.

“Hm?” Tony said, looking up from his own mug. “Yeah, sure. Sorry about that, I kind of forgot what time it was.”

Steve nodded, somewhat grumpily, accepting the apology. He turned to go before remembering the coffee. He started to hand it back to Tony when Tony looked up, confused.

“Hey, no, you keep that. You don’t have to go, you know. I invited you in, you might as well stay until you finish,” Tony said, shrugging. 

“Honestly, I’d prefer to be back in bed,” Steve said, a bit snippily. He was being unnecessarily rude, Tony had actually been really nice about this whole thing, but it didn’t seem to deter Tony.

“Okay, then just, take it for the road, you know?”

“What?” 

“I don’t know, just keep the cup. I’ll come get it later. And maybe we could get lunch, or dinner, if you want?”

“Wait, hold on. Are you trying to ask me out?” Steve asked. He was right. It was way too fucking early for this shit. He could barely handle romantic encounters in broad daylight with a full 8 hours of sleep, how was he supposed to navigate one at 2 in the morning with 4 hours of fitful, Metallica filled sleep?

Tony sighed, then raked his hand through his hair. It didn’t do much, admittedly, but Steve thought it was kind of cute. “Yes, yeah, I am, sorry if it made you uncomfortable, you can just leave the coffee here if you want.”

“I’d like that,” Steve said, surprising himself. “Not to leave the coffee, but dinner? Or lunch, whatever works?”

Tony blinked then looked back up at him. “Really? Oh. Okay, cool. Yeah. I’ll come get you at 7? Does that work?”

“7 works,” Steve said, trying hard not to break into a smile.

Tony smiled at him, and Steve felt something warm inside his chest. “Cool, then. 7. It’s a date.”

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Steve said, mostly to himself. “See you at seven,” he said before walking back out into the cold, the coffee mug still warm in his hands.

This was one weird morning, Steve thought. Not a bad one, he thought, a second later. Definitely not a bad one, he thought to himself as he fell back asleep, a small smile on his lips, an empty mug on his bedside table.


	25. lonely

It’s a shared trait, Steve realizes. His loneliness, Tony’s own. At first, he doesn’t realize that Tony’s small sighs aren’t of disdain but rather, sadness. He doesn’t really pay that much attention at first, if he’s being honest.

But they’re both such lonely people and it becomes startlingly obvious.

Steve was yanked out of his time, lost everything and everyone he ever loved without a chance to go back and right wrongs, without even a goodbye. Tony, Tony is trapped in his own mind, filled with doubt and insecurity and crippling sadness. He locks himself out, from the world, from his friends, from any chance of comfort.

They match.

But, over time, eventually, they become friends. They talk. They joke. And Steve doesn’t feel so lonely anymore. He has a feeling Tony feels the same way. And it takes a while, a lot longer than Steve would like, but eventually, they become more than friends.

And sometimes, Steve still feels lonely. Still misses Bucky and Peggy and the Commandos. Still misses the past, when he walks past a corner that he used to know by heart but is suddenly so painstakingly different. And Tony still secludes himself for days, not talking, not sleeping, barely eating. He still only has a few friends. He’s still lonely, and Steve knows nothing will ever change that.

It’s a shared trait. A learned one.

But before, Steve would bear it in silence. And before, Tony would continually get worse and worse. But now, they talk. or they don’t.

They sit in silence, Steve drawing, Tony building. They don’t speak for a couple of days besides the occasional comment, and that’s fine with Steve.

They’re both lonely people. But now, instead of being alone, they have each other.

It’s not a cure. It’s not a time machine and it’s not a magic pill that stops anxiety. But it helps.

Steve wraps his arms around Tony and breathes in the familiar smell of his shampoo, and it helps. Tony feels Steve’s warm, safe arms around him and it helps.

It’s not a cure. But it helps.


	26. "cute hoodie guy"

The first time Steve sees cute Hoodie Guy is outside his dorm, laughing with a couple of other people, a slender redhead who’s rolling her eyes but also smirking and a slightly shorter guy in running clothes who’s bent over, laughing.

He doesn’t think much of it, just runs past and thinks  _ cute _ .

The second time Steve sees cute Hoodie Guy is in one of the communal study rooms, adjusting some kind of robotic arm. He’s deep in conversation with a few other guys wearing MIT hoodies, and Steve is once again caught off guard by how cute this guy is. Normally, he wouldn’t be Steve’s type, but his eyes are shining and he looks so focused, so concentrated that Steve stops for a second to admire him. 

_ Cute, _ he thinks again, as hoodie guy laughs at a joke and nudges the guy next to him. 

The third time Steve sees cute Hoodie Guy is in his own hallway, leaning against the wall, absorbed in his phone. He walks past, trying to remain as impassive as possible, looking down at his feet.

“Hey, you wouldn’t happen to know anyone in this room?” Hoodie Guy asks suddenly, looking up from his phone as Steve passes. 

“What? Oh. No, sorry,” Steve says, his heart hammering in his chest. Hoodie Guy is looking right at him with a strange sort of intensity that Steve realizes he actually quite likes. 

“Oh, alright then. I just-” he rakes his hand through his hair which messes it up even more, which Steve finds oddly endearing “I was supposed to meet up with someone and they haven’t shown.”

“Hot date?” Steve jokes, immediately regretting his words, feeling a hot flush creep up the back of his neck.

“What?” the guy shrugs. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Their loss,” Steve says, and while he mostly says it to make the guy feel better, it’s true. 

The guy grins up at him at that, his eyes locked onto Steve’s. “Thanks. Hey, you wouldn’t happen to be busy doing anything, would you?”

“Um…no? I guess not. Just, sort of going out for a walk.”

“Would you mind if I joined you?” 

Steve tries to answer, then clears his throat.  _ Don’t screw this up, Rogers,  _ he thinks. “No,” he finally answers, a small smile on his face.

“Great!” Hoodie Guy says, beaming. It’s pretty fucking cute and Steve has to curb the urge to grin back at him. “I’m Tony, by the way.”

“Steve,” Steve says as they walk down the flight of stairs to the open campus. 

“Lead the way,” Tony says, sweeping his hand around. It’s pretty late, nearly 11, and there’s hardly any people around.

They walk along the trees and around the campus, and Steve finds that cute Hoodie Guy, Tony, is actually fairly easy to talk to. He finds out that Tony is a engineering major and that he likes to hang around Steve’s dorm because a couple of his friends live there. 

They talk for hours, just wandering around the campus, and Tony makes Steve laugh more times than he has in the past month. Eventually, though, Steve starts yawning and Tony notices, leading them back to Steve’s dorm. 

“So, uh, I guess this is where we part,” Tony says, smiling up at him through his dark lashes. 

“I guess so,” Steve says, rubbing his arms. He glances up at his dorm room and shakes his head. “They still haven’t fixed the heating in our dorm.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember Bruce complaining about that! Hey, do you want my sweatshirt?” 

“What? No, it’s fine, I have sweatshirts and a pretty warm blanket, I’ll be fine.”

“Okay, but if you take my sweatshirt, maybe I could come back later and get it? It’d give me a pretty good excuse to see you again,” Tony says, nudging Steve. He’s still smiling, and it should be illegal to be that cute because Steve finds himself nodding without even processing what Tony’s said. 

Within seconds, Tony’s pulling the sweatshirt over his head and handing it to Steve. Steve resists the urge to put it up to his nose and smell it, because he managed to keep up a semblance of calm and normalcy for the entire walk, he’ll be damned if he ruins it now. 

“Yeah, sounds good,” Steve says, pulling on the sweatshirt. It’s warm and smells like Tony, which Steve finds cute as hell. 

And just because the universe hates Steve, or maybe because Steve is tired and sleepy and Tony is so damn cute, he has to ruin it.

“I guess I can’t keep calling you cute Hoodie Guy anymore,” Steve mumbles before turning scarlet red. 

Tony smiles at him, a grin so wide it looks almost unnatural. “No,” he calls out, walking backwards, away from Steve, “but I can start calling  _ you _ cute Hoodie Guy, so that’s a plus.” 

By the time Steve has processed everything that’s happened, Tony is long gone, his back just a faint outline in the dark. 

Steve falls asleep in Tony’s hoodie, a small smile on his face. 


	27. choices

Tony Stark hadn’t been given a lot of choices in his life. 

He was a Stark. He was Tony Stark, and he was a genius and his parents had died. He didn’t get a say in any of that. Didn’t get to fill out a questionnaire that asked which one he wanted.

He didn’t get a choice when his father used him for his press propaganda, didn’t get a choice when he shipped him off to boarding school, didn’t get a choice when he became the face of Stark Industries. He did what people expected. Did what they wanted.

Tony Stark didn’t get any fucking choices. 

He drank and slept around, he acted like the playboy they all thought he was. And then he was kidnapped.

And he was given choices. Do what they wanted and probably die or die. And Tony Stark chose a different option.

He chose survival. 

And for maybe the first time, he had a choice. And he chose the right one.

And one thing led to another and it seemed like he had more and more choices. 

Until a man showed up at his door with a file and a flash drive that would change his life. Until a portal opened into space and he could taste the stars and the endless emptiness of the galaxy.

Tony Stark didn’t get a lot of choices.

Didn’t have a say in his kidnapping. But he had a say in his legacy. So he chose the option that would help people.

Didn’t have a say in his place in the avengers. But he had a say in making it something more than a one-night stand. So he chose the option that would help people.

He didn’t have a say in meeting the man out of time, didn’t have a say in getting screamed at and insulted by the man his father had always revered. But he had a say in making a broken relationship something more. So he chose the option his father would have hated. He made something more.

And he fell in love with Steve Rogers. 

Tony Stark wasn’t born a man of many choices. He was born rich, he was born a genius, but he wasn’t born into a life of bountiful paths.

So he made his own. He made his legacy something brighter, something better, something  _ good _ . And somewhere along the way, he found happiness.

Tony Stark didn’t choose to be an orphan or a genius or a Stark. But he chose to survive. And he chose to be Iron Man. And he chose to love Steven Grant Rogers. That last one turned out to be the best damn choice he’d ever made. 

Tony Stark hadn’t been given a lot of choices in his life. So he made his own.


	28. better man

It’s press conference day. Steve hates press conference day. All the lights, flashing, and the clamoring and the sounds, the yelling, the pushing, the desperation. Steve  _ hates _ it. 

So do the rest of the avengers. Bruce is probably the only one who hates it more than he does. Tony and Natasha, they’re good. They’re great. By the time they’ve finished their answers, you’ve managed to forget what you’ve asked in the first place.

But Steve especially hates press conference day after a week like this. A week where a couple gets killed because they miscalculated, because of mistakes and fate and inevitability. You can’t save them all. 

So, when a young, hipster looking reporter stands up and asks Tony “Is there any reason for the deaths reported in Aheia on Wednesday? Was it your recklessness or a miscalculation on someone else’s part?” Steve groans internally.

Tony sighs and brings his hand up to his face. Steve’s jaw clenches and his hands form fists under the table, but he stays quiet. Tony can handle this. But the reporter doesn’t stop.

“There were first hand accounts that stated that you made a choice not to protect those civilians, resulting in their deaths. Tan you explain that, Mr. Stark? Was it your choice to let those people die?”

The reporter looks happy, exuberant, at the results his words are having. Natasha is glaring at him, and if there wasn’t 500 cameras on them, Steve’s pretty sure the guy would be dead by now. Even Bruce looks like he wants to throttle the guy, his fingers unconsciously trying to drill a hole in the table.

Tony sighs again, and Steve can see the toll the words are having on him. That’s when Steve decides enough is enough.

“Hey, listen here, buddy,” he says, with ice and venom in his voice, “my husband is a fucking hero. A hero. He was smarter and stronger than you the moment he was born. He went through more pain and trauma in three months than you’ve ever had in your entire miserable life. He chose to be Iron Man. He chooses to protect people. And please, show me these so called “first hand accounts” that my husband chose to let those people die. The truth is, buddy, that if a bomb were to land in this room right now and there was the choice between saving his own life and saving yours, he’d save yours. That’s the kind of man my husband is. That’s the kind of choice he’d make,” Steve says, finishing with a near growl. 

Tony is looking at him with a bit of admiration and a fair bit of love in his eyes, whereas Bruce and Thor both look slightly amazed. They’ve all stood up and started to leave, the reporters still in stunned silence, when Steve turns back around, marching back to the reporter.

“What’s your name?” he asks, eyes fixed.

“Michael?” the man squeaks out, his eyes wide.

“Just for the record, Michael, you’re officially on my bad side. You can ask all the people who’ve ended up on my bad side how that went for them. Actually, wait, no, you can’t, because they’re dead.”

Michael shudders at that, Steve’s finger in his chest. 

When Steve finally marches back where the press can’t see them, Tony catches him off guard and kisses him breathless. 

“That,” Tony says, breathing deeply, “was one of the hottest things i’ve ever seen.”

Steve grins at his husband. “I meant every word,” he says, sincerely. 

Tony rolls his eyes and pulls him back in again. “Thank you,” he whispers when they finally break apart.

Steve just grabs his hand and squeezes. No one talks to his husband like that.


	29. stranger in a bar

It’s dark and late in the bar when Tony hears a familiar voice. He turns and spots Steve, the guy he’d given his hoodie to a couple of nights ago.

He’s leaning against his hand and his face looks gaunt, nothing like the happiness that was practically radiating out of him the last time Tony’d seen him. 

Tony slides along the bar until he’s sitting down next to him.

“Hey, stranger.”

Steve glances up and him and flushes.  _ He’s beautiful _ , Tony thinks. his eyes are so blue and that jawline, goddamn.

“Tony?” 

Tony gives Steve a friendly bump with his shoulder. “In the flesh.” looking down, Tony realizes that Steve’s still wearing his sweatshirt. That does something to his heart he’s not really ready to admit.

Steve gives a half-hearted smile at that, eyes drifting back to his beer. “I don’t think I’m gonna be great company tonight,” he says, and Tony has a feeling that there’s something bothering him. Steve lifts his beer up and drains it, prompting Tony to grab his wrist, gently.

“I don’t mind. Let’s get out of here. Outside, not in this mess. For a walk?” Tony offers.

Steve looks up at him and Tony can see the bags under his eyes. Eventually, Steve relents and follows him out of the bar, Tony’s hand still warm around his wrist.

When they get outside, the cold air blows through them and Tony subconsciously huddles closer to Steve. Or maybe consciously, he’s not really sure anymore.

Either way, they turn and walk along the sidewalk, puffs of breath blowing in front of them.

“so, you wanna talk about it?” 

“About what?” Steve answers, eyes on his feet.

“Why you’re in a bar trying to drown your sorrows?”

Steve exhales, his breath a small cloud. “It’s nothing, Tony, I’m fine.”

“Mhm. That’s why you look like you haven’t been eating or sleeping well?”

Steve stops and looks at Tony again, and Tony feels his heart start pounding a little faster. The light from the nearest street lamp casts a soft glow on Steve, his eyes illuminated, his hair blowing slightly in the wind.

“You really wanna know?”

Tony shrugs and holds his hands up. “Hit me, Rogers.”

Steve sighs then cuts a glance up at Tony. “My whole family. They’re not really into the whole ‘art’ thing. They’re all mathematicians and scientists. They’ve been giving me a hard time.”

Tony smiles slightly at that and reaches out to grab Steve’s hand. It’s slightly colder than his, and he envelops it with his own. Steve’s looking at him now, eyes wide. 

“Surprisingly enough, Rogers, I can relate. Do you remember me telling you my father was an inventor?” 

Steve nods, and Tony runs his thumb over Steve’s knuckles. “Yeah, well, do you also remember me telling you that my last name is Stark?”

Tony sees the recognition flash in Steve’s eyes and Tony pulls his hand away to run it through his hair.

“Oh! You’re-you’re Tony Stark!” Steve says, shaking his head slightly. “God, I’m wearing Tony Stark’s sweatshirt, Jesus Christ,” Steve starts mumbling and Tony grows suddenly wary. 

“Hey, look, you’re not gonna do the whole fanboy thing, are you?”

“What? No. It’s just…I didn’t put two and two together. Sorry, I promise, I’m not some avid stalker or anything. What do you mean you can relate?”

Tony breathes a slight sigh of relief at that before starting to walk again.

“I mean, I followed in my dad’s footsteps and all that, but I get what you mean, arguing with your family about your career. It’s hard, being something they don’t understand when you love it so much. So i get what you mean.

“Thanks, Tony. That actually kinda helped,” Steve says after a brief silence. He turns to face Tony and suddenly, Tony is acutely aware of the space between them. Or rather, the lack of space between them.

“You don’t have to sound so surprised,” Tony whispers, leaning up slightly. There’s only a few inches of space between their faces and Tony lets his eyes drop to Steve’s mouth.

Steve takes the hint, leaning in closer to press his lips against Tony’s. They’re warm and softer than they have any right to be and Tony reaches up to grab the back of Steve’s neck, pulling him down as the kiss grows more urgent. Steve backs him against the wall, his tongue tracing along Tony’s bottom lip, leaving him gasping. Tony doesn’t push back, he just lets him go, mouth falling open. Dimly, Tony thinks, in the back of his head, he’s almost certain his heart has stopped.

Steve finally pulls away to breathe for a second before leaning back in for a soft, chaste kiss on Tony’s wet lips. Tony sucks in air, grateful for the reprieve.

“Your mouth is a crime against humanity,” Tony eventually breathes out, hand over his chest. 

Steve laughs at that, and Tony marvels at how much he loves Steve’s laugh. He looks happier, more like the kid Tony’d met a couple nights ago and less like the guy in the bar. 

“You can’t talk, you looked so damn cute in this sweatshirt that I agreed to walk around at midnight with you when I’d never met you before,” Steve jokes back, his eyes shining.

Tony huffs at that, crossing his arms over his chest. “Want to take another walk then?” Tony offers finally, batting his eyelashes. 

Steve scoffs but smiles, turning towards campus and gesturing for Tony to lead. They walk around again, talking and flirting. Steve explains that his family has been pushing him to get a worthwhile career, and Tony listens, silently taking in every aspect about Steve. He’s endearingly cute. It’s distracting.

They wind up in front of Steve’s dorm again, and Tony can’t stop thinking about Steve’s hands on his waist, on his chest. 

“So, I guess this is where we part,” Steve says, copying Tony’s words previously. 

“You are so full of it, Rogers.” 

“You love it,” Steve says, stepping into Tony’s space. 

“We really need to go on a real date because as much as I love these walks, I’d prefer to see you in daylight sometime,” Tony says, his hands coming up to rest on Steve’s chest. 

Steve smiles. “Come up to my dorm sometime. I think you’d like my friends.”

“Meeting the friends on the first date? That’s scandalous, Rogers. What next, you gonna propose on our second date?”

Steve laughs. God, Tony loves that sound. “Maybe,” he teases, slowly backing away from Tony. 

“You’re such a tease, Rogers!” Tony calls out, and Steve’s laugh follows him as he turns away. Tony tries to tamp down the urge to smile but fails, a grin on his face.

He finds his way back to his dorm room, a smile still on his face as he falls asleep. 


	30. brave new world

  1. **“How does it feel, to sully Captain America’s reputation with your previous actions involving romantic affiliations with men?”**



Tony laughs at that one, a true laugh. “Buddy, until you’ve seen Steve so drunk that he can’t walk in a straight line, or until you’ve seen him swear at 4 in the morning, you have no idea what his reputation is.”

  1. **“How does the rest of your team feel about your lifestyle choices?”**



“If you’re referring to my sexuality, sorry, I didn’t know we were calling it a lifestyle still. I must’ve missed that when I was busy saving your ignorant ass. And I have no clue, why don’t you ask them?”

  1. **“You’re corrupting the youth with your false messages and immoral relations!”**



Tony sighs at this one. “Buddy, the only thing the 3 thousands kids that are currently Stark employees are being corrupted with is science and work experience. And as for immoral relations, I wouldn’t sweat it, we aren’t going to have any relations after this.”

  1. **“You’re and the rest of them like you are all going to Hell!”**



Happy groans at this one. It’s almost too easy. Tony flips up his sunglasses and flashes the man a smile. “See you there, pal.”

  1. **“You’re leading those who follow you down a path of sin!”**



Tony gives the woman a shit eating grin. “That’s the same thing I said to my best friend when he ordered pineapple on pizza for a college party.”

  1. **“Mr. Stark, you are a symbol across the world. How can we trust you to be in control of your immoral sexual urges on the global scale?”**



Tony laughs at this one as Pepper smiles besides him. “Trust me, when i’m having immoral sexual urges, I’m not the one in control.”

  1. **“How does Dr. Banner live and work in close proximity with you when he is aware of your lifestyle?”**



He rolls his eyes at this one. “With great caution. I nearly set him on fire the other day, and he almost released a deadly virus in my lab 4 days ago.”

  1. **“You’re ruining the name of Stark Industries.”**



This one hits a little too close to home. Tony looks tired and bored, unamused, but there’s a flash of anger in his eyes. “That must be the reason why we’re one of the most efficient, useful, powerful companies in the world. Your insult would mean a lot more if you weren’t using Stark tech to record every word I’m saying. I bet the quality’s great, too,” Tony says, a small smirk on his face.

  1. **“Why are you in favor of gay marriage when it is unnatural?”**



“Unnatural? French bulldogs are unnatural. Large metal buildings are unnatural. Electricity, tap water and sewage systems are unnatural. Two people in love isn’t unnatural, but your stupidity is.”

  1. **“Captain Rogers! We are so grateful for your support in our goal to spread the message that true Americans only recognize traditional marriage! Also, how do you feel about your teammate Mr. Stark’s romantic affiliations with men?”**



The team freezes. No one had ever really talked to cap about this. Steve looks confused for a second before anger flashes over his features. 

“Look here, pal,” he says, hands gripping the microphone, his voice sharp, “I don’t know where you’re getting this idea of “true Americans.” I’m Irish, and when we first came to America, we were treated like filth. We weren’t allowed jobs, we weren’t given the same pay, we were treated like the scum of the earth. A kid that wasn’t born here but was raised here, or a person who’s become a citizen or even a person that isn’t a citizen can still be an american. And as for Mr. Stark’s romantic affiliations, I’m quite pleased with them. Probably because they include me.” 

The press room breaks out into chaos, and Tony’s smirking, his arms folded across his chest. “You had to make it complicated, didn’t you,” he scolds, but his eyes are bright, shining.

Steve smiles at him, pulling him in for a kiss. It’s nothing terrible, nothing that wouldn’t be allowed on a kid’s show, and yet, when Steve pulls away, his ears are red. 

“You wanna go do some more immoral, non-traditional things where there aren’t 500 cameras?” Tony asks, his smile devious.

“God, yes,” Steve breathes back.

As they’re leaving, Tony throws up the middle finger. 


	31. you make me brave

Steve traced his hand down Tony’s arm, looking at the way the light cast shadows on his tanned skin. Tony shifted and turned, so that he was lying on his back, looking up at Steve, and Steve smiled.

He leaned down to kiss along Tony’s jaw, his neck, his temples. “You make me brave, you know,” Steve murmured against his skin.

Tony let out a small laugh at that, and Steve frowned.

“What?” he asked, propping himself up to look at Tony.

Tony’s eyes fluttered open and met Steve’s. “It’s just, you know, the whole Captain America thing. You’re the bravest man I’ve ever met, Steve, and you were like this long before I was even born.”

Steve smiled at that, a sleepy smile, one of Tony’s favorites. “Not like that, Tony. You made me grateful to be in this century. To try new things, to embrace what I have. You did that. You make me brave enough to look forward to tomorrow instead of wishing I could go back.”

“Oh,” was Tony’s soft reply. 

“So, you make me brave,” Steve said again, kissing gently behind Tony’s ear.

Tony squirmed slightly, and rolled his eyes. “You’re such a sap, Rogers.”

“You love me,” Steve teased back, settling back down onto the pillows. 

Tony snorted a little, then rolled over so that his arm was around Steve. “Yeah, I do.” 

And just when Steve was about to sleep, Tony tucked around him, he heard the softest whisper against the back of his neck.

_ “You make me brave, too.” _

 


	32. home is home

**_“What are we fighting for, seems like we do it just for fun”_ **

“I made the right call!” Tony all but screamed, his hands waving passionately. 

“You endangered others!” Steve yelled back, his eyes flashing. The rest of the team looked on, watching the fight ping-pong back and forth. They’d been dating for a couple of months now, but it didn’t seem to help any when they fought.

“Excuse me for not taking orders from a guy who was born in a different century!” Tony finally said, jaw tight, storming out the room. 

Steve shook his head, his shoulders tense. He rubbed his hands against his forehead before stomping off to destroy a few of SHIELD’s punching bags.

**_“You hate me now and I feel the same way, you love me now and I feel the same way”_ **

Steve cautiously approached Tony, who was fiddling with some kind of machinery in his hands. Tony spun around, his face wary, expectant.

“I don’t want to fight,” Steve said, softly. His knuckles were bruised from the bags.  _ (he’d broken two.) _

Tony let his guard down a fraction then, standing up straighter rather than curling in on himself. He didn’t speak, just walked closer to Steve and reluctantly held his arms open.

Steve stepped into them, resting his head on top of Tony’s. Tony wrapped his arms around his waist and pressed a soft kiss to the side of Steve’s neck.

_ “I was scared,” _ Steve admitted, in a soft whisper.

Tony hugged tighter.

**_“You get under my skin, more than anyone’s ever been, but when we lay in bed, you hold me harder ‘til I forget”_ **

“Damn it, Steve, I don’t need you to protect me,” Tony said, the lines on his face evident.

“That doesn’t mean you can just make stupid decisions, Tony.”

“No, but it also means that i’m going to take risks and you’re gonna have to be fine with that sometimes.” 

Steve looked down at Tony then, eyes disapproving. He shook his head for a second before huffing.

“Fine. But if you take  _ unnecessary _ risk, I reserve my right to be pissed.”

Tony shrugged, then pulled the blanket up. The hint of a smile played on Steve’s face before he rolled his eyes and crawled under it, resting his head on Tony’s shoulder.

Tony reached around under the blanket until he found Steve’s hand, lacing his fingers with Steve’s, giving it a small squeeze. Steve squeezed back, wrapping Tony’s hand with his own.

They fought and sometimes they took low blows and below the belt hits, but at the end of the day, Tony couldn’t think of a better place to be than in Steve’s arms, safe and cherished. Home is home, after all.


	33. Chapter 33

Tony is a lot of Steve’s firsts. not in  _ that _ sort of way, although a case could be made, but more in the sense that Steve hadn’t been on dates, hadn’t had a proper first kiss, hadn’t done the awkward growing up hand holding, hadn’t had a proper makeout session, hadn’t done practically  _ anything _ . 

  
So, Tony is a lot of Steve’s firsts.

  
When they hold hands for the first time, Tony teases Steve about it. “Holding hands now, Rogers? Haven’t done that in a while,” Tony jokes, swinging their interlocked hands between them. Steve glances down, his ears reddening and Tony can feel, genuinely feel the doubt and worry start running through Steve’s head.

  
“Hey, no I didn’t mean it like that,” Tony says, stopping to pull Steve’s head up towards him. “I like it, actually,” he admits, quieter. The air is chilly around them and they’re both in warm coats and scarves and Tony’s colder than he’d normally like to admit. Steve finally looks up, smiling almost childishly, and admits, softly, “I’ve never really held hands with anyone before” and Tony feels something inside him just fucking melt. 

  
“That is just…adorable,” Tony whispers, as he leans in to kiss Steve. Tony’s cold but Steve isn’t, his mouth warm and eager. When they pull away, breathing heavier, Steve has snowflakes on his eyelashes and Tony’s lips are a rosy red against his skin. 

  
“We can hold hands whenever you want if it gets you to kiss me like  _ that _ again,” Tony jokes, his hand tightening around Steve’s. Steve never really tells him how much it means to him, but he thinks Tony knows.


	34. coffee shop au

In hindsight, it shouldn’t have been funny. Tony was a fully grown man, a business owner, a genius. he should not have been laughing at a dick crudely drawn in his coffee.

But he did find it funny, funny enough to laugh furiously and loudly enough to gather the attention of the barista.

“Sir? Is everything okay?” she’d asked, her eyes wide. Tony figured that lunatics laughing their assess off didn’t happen much in this store.

Eventually, he calmed himself down enough to speak. “Yeah, yeah, just great, but if you wouldn’t mind calling the person who made this one? My name’s Tony.”

The girl looked confused for a moment but shrugged, turning and calling out to someone in the back that Tony couldn’t see.

“Steve? Hey, Steve? Can you come here?”

A man, blonde, who Tony assumed was Steve poked his head out from the corner and turned a violent red when he saw Tony. He ducked back behind the wall and after what sounded like a couple of coughs, Steve emerged, wiping his hands on his apron.

And Tony would have to be blind in order to ignore the fact that he was  _ gorgeous _ . Chiseled jawline, startlingly blue eyes, and a body that could rival a greek god.  _ Hot _ , Tony thought. 

As Steve drew closer, Tony couldn’t help but notice Steve’s long, blonde lashes and his full, plush looking lips. Briefly, Tony imagined sucking on his bottom lip, his tongue running across his lips. 

Before he could get a word in though, Steve immediately started babbling, the tips of his ears turning red.

“I’m so sorry, you come here everyday and I tried making some sort of leaf thingy but instead it came out like, well, like that. I’m so sorry, please don’t tell our manager, he’ll be pissed,” Steve rambled, his eyes wide.

“Woah, woah, slow down. I’m not gonna tell your boss. I think the entire thing is hilarious, actually.” 

“Thank y-wait, what?” 

Tony shrugged. “It’s pretty funny.”

“You think that me drawing a dick on your coffee is funny?”

“Yes,” Tony said, purposefully licking the foam off the top of his coffee. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t trying to gauge Steve’s interest as he ran his tongue around the rim of the cup.

Judging from the way Steve’s eyes were fixated on his mouth and the way he swallowed, as if his mouth was dry, Tony figured he was pretty interested.

Steve shook his head and a small smile crept across his face. “Thanks, then, for not telling my boss.”

“No problem, Steve. Can i just have one small thing?” Tony asked, leaning over the counter, flashing a smile.

“What is it?” Steve asked, his cheeks turning pink.

“Your number?” Tony asked, his smile bordering on a smirk.

Steve’s eyes got wide for a second and the blush on his cheeks grew pinker. He stammered for a few seconds before pulling out a pen from his apron and grabbing the lid Tony’d pried off his coffee moments earlier.

He scribbled on it before cautiously, slowly handing it to Tony. he reminded Tony of a deer, ready to bolt at any second.

Tony looked down at it. “I’ll text you? Maybe we can grab drinks sometime?”

“Sounds, um, sounds great” Steve replied, his blue eyes staring at Tony. Tony felt himself starting to blush, Jesus Christ, he felt like a middle schooler.

“Cool, so um, I got to get back to work, it was nice meeting you-” Steve froze then, and Tony could see him realizing that he’d just given his number to a complete and utter stranger.

“Tony.”

“Right, um, Tony, it was nice meeting you.”

“Pleasure’s all mine,” Tony drawled. Steve got even more nervous at that, furiously wiping his hands down on his apron, slowly backing away. His entire face was flushed now, and Tony was screwed because it was cute as hell.

Eventually, Steve disappeared back behind the wall and Tony smiled to himself as he walked out the store.

He pulled out his phone and immediately put in Steve’s number, picking a quick coffee emoji. After a second thought, Tony laughed to himself and tapped the eggplant emoji and sent them both.

Tony’s phone chimed almost immediately and he grinned as he read Steve’s reply. 

_ “I am never interacting with people again.” _

**_That’s a shame. and I was so looking forward to our date._ **

_ “I’d make an exception for you.” _

**_Some stranger you’ve barely met? I’m flattered._ **

_ “You’ve been coming to our shop for 4 months now. You like black coffee, and sometimes you order a latte for your friend, a redhead, Pepper. You squint your eyes when you laugh and you always tip well. You remember everyone’s names, but you pretend you don’t. You don’t complain when there’s a long line, and you even help some parents keep track of their kids when they need to leave. Not really a stranger.”  _

Tony stared down at his phone screen. Steve was right, about all of it, and he found it absolutely endearing that Steve had noticed all that. He pushed through the street, typing out a reply.

**_If you weren’t so hot, that would sound creepy._ **

_ “Nothing’s as bad as me drawing a dick in your coffee.” _

**_I can think of far worse._ **

_ “That…doesn’t surprise me.” _

**_I don’t know if I should be insulted by that._ **

_ “Don’t be. Anyway, when are you free?” _

**_Friday?_ **

_ “Friday it is. You can pick the place. Maybe this is embarrassing to admit, but now I’m sad that today is barely Tuesday. ” _

Tony smiled down at his phone. he’d never expected that his morning would involve dick drawings or a date with a cute barista, but he wasn’t complaining.

Thinking back to Steve’s adorable blush or his beautiful blue eyes, Tony smiled some more. Yeah, he  _ definitely _ wasn’t complaining.


	35. you have 2 PhD's you can braid hair

Natasha walks into the common living room, her eyes scanning each Avenger. Bruce is passed out on the counter, his hand still in the cereal box. She shakes her head slightly at the slight, but a fond smile slips through.

Next up is Thor, who is also passed out on the couch, hand hanging off, remote in a vice grip. 

Steve and Tony are the only ones awake, Steve watching some Christmas movie casually, and Tony fiddling with one of his holograms.

Her eyes zero in on Tony and his fast, deft fingers. 

“Stark,” she proclaims, waking up Bruce, who looks around, frantically. 

“Yes, dear?” 

“You’re good with your fingers,” Natasha says, walking over to him.

Tony raises an eyebrow and looks up at her, questioningly. “So I’ve been told, but I currently belong to that gorgeous specimen over there,” Tony says, gesturing at Steve on the chair across from him. 

Natasha rolls her eyes. “Not like that, Tony. I was…well, I was messing around with the new paralytics, and I might have actually paralyzed my hands.”

Steve sits up and reaches out for her hands, which she offers to him. “Jeez, Nat, you need to be more-”

“spare me the speech, cap.”

Steve looks up at Tony, asking him to join his side. “Sorry babe, but I’m gonna have to go with the Russian spy on tranquilizer expertise,” Tony responds, with a shrug and wink. 

“So…you want me to whip up an antidote?” 

“No, I want you to do my hair.”

Tony stares up at Natasha in disbelief, his eyes wide. “I’m sorry…what?”

“i want you to do my hair.”

“Right, okay, well, guys, we gotta go find Loki again, he’s up to some mind-control shit-”

“Cut it out, Tony,” Natasha says, slapping the back of his head. “I’m serious. I can’t do it, and I don’t really trust Steve or Bruce to, but you have a PhD in electrical engineering for god’s sake, come one, some braids should be easy.”

“Right, like electrical engineering and hair are exactly the same thing,” Tony deadpans.

“Tony, as much as I loathe to admit it, you’re a genius. If you can’t braid some hair, you don’t deserve that title.”

Tony huffs and swings his legs off the chair armrest. “Fine. But no complaining.”

Natasha shrugs and sits down in front of him, her legs crossed. Steve looks on with a bemused expression.

“Oh, can it, Rogers,” Natasha says, and Steve holds his hands up in surrender.

Tony deftly braids a long, mostly neat braid into Natasha’s hair as they watch  _ The Grinch _ , occasionally commenting and asking questions.

“Done,” Tony eventually says, leaning back to admire his work.

Natasha pulls out a knife from God knows where and uses it to check her reflection.

“Not bad, Stark,” she comments dryly, standing up to settle more comfortably on the couch where Steve’s sitting.

Tony practically beams. “Thank you, Ms. Romanoff.”

Steve smiles and Tony looks at him. “What?” Tony asks.

“No, it’s nothing. That was just…cute,” Steve says, eventually, still smiling at Tony.

Tony rolls his eyes but leans in towards Steve anyway, giving him a soft, chaste kiss.

“Love you,” Tony murmurs as Steve pulls him against his chest.

Steve drops a quick kiss into Tony’s hair. “Love you, too.”

“Shut up already, this is my favorite part,” Natasha says, her legs stretching to lie on top of Steve’s and Tony’s laps.

Tony smiles slightly, looking around the room. Natasha was happily munching on popcorn, Bruce had fallen back asleep, Thor still hadn’t moved, Clint was probably in the vents, and Steve was absentmindedly tracing shapes on his arm. An assassin, a god, a supersoldier, a green giant, and an archer would have never been Tony’s first thought of what a family would be, but as he looked around, that was the only thought that came to mind.

He was home.


	36. alone/home

Tony Stark was four years old, and he was lonely. His mom was gone, and she was always nice to him, always hugged him and said she loved him. And Jarvis was gone, Jarvis who smiled and patted him on the back and taught him new words and explained things in a soft voice. And his dad was gone, but Tony didn’t miss him that much. He was mean, Tony thought. Angry and mean. But everyone was gone and Tony was lonely.

Tony Stark was 12 years old and he was lonely. His dad had Jarvis pack some suitcases and put him a car with a clap on his shoulder that was too hard to be considered caring, saying “don’t cause trouble.” His mom stood by his side, her eyes watery. Jarvis didn’t hug him or tell him things were going to be okay, he just gave him a small sad smile and Tony watched as the car drove away, watched as his dad turned and walked back to the house, even as Jarvis and his mom stood watching him leave for boarding school. He was 12 years old and he was lonely.

Tony Stark was 24 years old and he was lonely. His mom was gone, Jarvis was gone. He didn’t have anyone. Not a single soul. Sometimes, he thought, I’d give it all up just to have someone to talk to. Rhodey was gone, off on some military thing. The girls in his bed made for a few hours of fun and avoidance, but when night came, and it always did, all he felt was lonely. He got drunk and that worked for a while, but the truth is the truth even when you’re drunk and wasted, and the truth was that Tony Stark was alone. Tony Stark was 24 years old and he was lonely.

Tony Stark was 39 and he was lonely. He was tired and exhausted, he was starving and in pain and he was lonely. He would die, in some cave in Afghanistan, and the worst part was he kept thinking about home, but who was there to think of? Rhodey. Maybe Pepper. but other than that, he was alone. Truly and deeply alone. He had more friends in a cave halfway across the world than at his million dollar mansion. Tony Stark was 39 and he was lonely.

Tony Stark was 42 and he was lonely. Rhodey was busy, Rhodey was always busy nowadays, and Pepper was off “running his company” and…and nothing. He didn’t have anyone else. Except a couple of assassins. And a mad scientist. And a god. and a supersoldier. He had them, but it wasn’t like they liked him. They could barely even stand him. Hell, Rogers had squirmed his way into his brain and took him apart, piece by piece. Isn’t that what Howard always said anyway? That he would always be some squirming, troublemaking kid who wasn’t worth his time? A lot of the time, Tony thought he was right. Tony Stark was 42 and he was lonely.

Tony Stark was 48 and he  _ wasn’t _ lonely. His home was filled with people. A couple of assassins, a god, a scientist, and a husband. A husband. His husband. Captain America. Dad would’ve hated the idea of Steve Rogers loving him. Would’ve scoffed and said “a man like this should have nothing to do with a man like you” and six years ago, Tony would have agreed. But he didn’t anymore, because he woke up to Steve Roger’s soft smile and kind words. He didn’t anymore because Steve taught him what it felt like to be wanted, and not just for his body or for money or for power, but for  _ him _ . His personality, his jokes, his trauma, his heart and soul. He was 48 and he had a husband who laughed too loudly and cried softly and hugged him tightly. He was 48 and he had friends who handed him things, he was 48 and he had friends who knew him, knew him in the way Rhodey and Pepper knew him. They knew him and they wanted him anyways.

Tony Stark was 48 and he wasn’t lonely. Tony Stark was 48 and he was in love.

Tony Stark was 48 and he had a family. A home.


	37. soulmate au

Steve sighed, sitting down in the chair beside his next donor. He scanned the form and realized that the man had forgotten to fill in the blood type section.

“Sir, I’m sorry, but I’m going to need you to-” the words died on his lips as he raised his head and looked at the man sitting in front of him. “Oh.”

“Good morning to you too, gorgeous,” the man said, with a wink. Steve felt the blush rising on his cheeks and the slight nervousness in his stomach. The man sitting in front of him was, for lack of a better word, hot.  _ Really _ hot. Dark brown eyes that were staring at him, tanned skin, and a goatee that he managed to pull off extraordinarily well. It was a lot. 

Steve blushed, his eyes wide. Just a donor, he chastised himself, looking back down at the form. “Sir, I’m going to need your blood type in order for you to donate blood.”

The man, Tony, Steve realized, looking down at the name at the top of the paper, smiled at him and Steve’s heart nearly stopped. There was no way that anything this man did should be  _ legal _ . He could stop traffic with that smile. 

“I’d give you anything you needed babe, but unfortunately, you don’t have a box for my blood type there.”

Steve flushed even more at the word “babe” and took a deep breath. A donor, he told himself again. He frowned as he realized exactly what Tony had said. There was no way, right? His breath caught as his mind raced. There was no way Tony was his soulmate? 

Steve had been born with one of the rarest blood types in the world, something like 0.3% of the world had it. And in a world where your soulmate had the same blood type as you, that made it exponentially easier and exponentially harder to find them. 

“Hey, you alright, Doc?” Tony interrupted, his brown eyes filled with concern. Steve must’ve been breathing heavier than he thought.

“What? Oh. Yeah. Just…what  _ is _ your blood type then?” Steve asked cautiously, trying to keep the hope out of his voice. There was no way that this random, hot stranger sat in front of Steve could be his soulmate. There was no way.

Tony grinned then, pearly white teeth and effortless ease, and Steve almost didn’t hear the words he said next. “Well, I’m a Pelos AB Negative.”

Steve choked and spluttered, then stared at Tony in amazement and slight fear.

“Woah, woah, you sure you’re okay?” Tony asked again, leaning forward on the medical chair to place a hand on Steve’s back, looking down at Steve through thick, dark lashes. 

Steve coughed one more time before regaining, or trying, to regain his composure. “Yeah, I’m okay. I just…I didn’t expect that.”

Tony pulled back then, his eyes twinkling. He seemed like he would always know exactly what to do, in any situation. “Didn’t expect my blood type? Honestly, I’m surprised you even know it. Most people don’t.”

Steve nodded silently, still staring at Tony, taking every detail in. His suit looked expensive, well-tailored, and Steve had the fleeting thought that he’d love to see what he looked like if his tie was undone, his hair messed up. 

“Earth, Earth to….Dr. Rogers?” Tony said again, snapping his fingers in front of his face.

Steve jerked his head back up, staring right into Tony’s eyes. “Oh God, I’m so sorry, I must seem so weird, it’s just…it’s that you…you have my…”

Tony frowned and furrowed his brow, and Steve could practically hear him thinking. “Wait…there’s no way that you, you are a….”

Steve nodded wordlessly, gripping the clipboard in his hands tightly. Tony’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak but no words came. 

“You’re…you’re a Pelos AB Negative?” he finally asked, his eyes scanning Steve’s face.

“Yes,” Steve managed to say, the nerves in his stomach growing.

Tony sat back in his chair and tilted his head up to the ceiling, a grin on his face. “What did I do to deserve this, huh?” he asked, mostly to himself.

Steve smiled at that, his ears turning red. “So, I’m uh…I’m Steve,” he finally said, extending his hand.

Tony looked at him, the smile still on his face. “Tony,” he said, reaching out to shake Steve’s hand.

Steve kicked himself internally.  _ You meet your soulmate, then you choke and cough on him, and then you offer him a handshake? Great job, Rogers, you probably scared him off.  _

All thoughts vanished from his mind though, when Tony grabbed his hand. Suddenly, he was thinking about lips. With a start, he realized he was thinking about his own lips. He was thinking…about himself. 

And suddenly “ _ God, he’s so beautiful.” _

Steve’s breath caught. He forced his eyes open, which he didn’t even know he’d closed. Tony looked the same way, his eyes open, startled. 

Steve tried something then, their hands still connected.  _ “Can you hear my thoughts?” _

Tony looked terrified then, his eyes blown wide.  _ “Apparently.”  _ His voice filled Steve’s head, but his mouth didn’t move. 

Steve had heard about this, before. It was rare, and they still didn’t know why it happened, but for some people, when they touched their soulmate for the first time, they could hear their thoughts. 

When he managed to form a coherent thought, Steve let his hand fall. Tony seemed a little wary, and he didn’t want to force himself inside the guy’s mind. 

Tony leaned forward in his chair, swinging his legs off it, suddenly a few inches away from Steve. Steve’s breath caught. His eyes dropped to Tony’s mouth, red and plush, as if he was made to be kissed.

“So, soulmate, you want to blow this joint?” Tony whispered into his ear, sending a shiver through Steve. 

“Hell yes,” Steve breathed back. Tony leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to the spot behind Steve’s ear, making Steve melt against him. 

Tony smiled deviously, his eyes flashing. “I’m going to remember that,” he whispered again, and Steve was almost certain that his brain had turned to mush. 

He swallowed thickly, his mouth dry. “Let me just…let me tell them I’m leaving?”

“You can do whatever you want, babe, as long you come back,” Tony said, pulling away.

“I will,” Steve blurted out, turning red again. 

Tony stood up and pressed himself against Steve, and Steve stopped thinking when Tony leaned up and gave him a soft, quick, chaste kiss. Tony pulled away, smiling at Steve’s flushed cheeks. “That’s good to know,” he whispered, and all Steve could think was Tony, his body against his, his cologne, his mouth.

He sucked in a breath when Tony stepped back, and suddenly he could think again. 

Tony sat back down on the chair, and waved a hand at him. “Go, babe, I’m not going anywhere,” he said, his eyes still sparkling at Steve. 

Steve nodded dumbly, and went to tell his supervisor. She raised an eyebrow and stared, but eventually waved him off, muttering under her breath.

Steve found his way back to where Tony was, and Tony stood up, a grin on his face. Steve was brought back to his thought earlier: This man should be  _ illegal _ . 

“So, soulmate,” Tony said, walking towards the exit, “let’s get coffee.” Steve caught up with him and gently reached for Tony’s hand. 

He laced his fingers with Tony’s, his heartbeat slowing. “I’d love that,” he heard himself replying, and when Tony smiled softly at him, a little bit of nervousness showing through, he nearly got hit by a car.

Like he said.  _ Illegal _ . 

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to @spideysstark and @stony-industries on tumblr for helping me compile these fics and capitalize them.
> 
> if you want to read more of my writings, or just say hi, my tumblr is @bigstarkenergy


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